Running with Fate
by NatBlake
Summary: Henry Haddock wasn't expecting to see anyone while he was out hunting, let alone a beautiful high school runner. He gets his first look at Astrid Hofferson from the scope of a rifle. After the encounter, he thought he'd never see her again, but when he moves into the city and joins the running team, he's more than a little surprised. Modern AU. Hiccstrid. Rated T for language.
1. Meeting a Hunter

**This is my first Modern AU HTTYD FanFiction. It involves a little bit of trapping knowledge, and I've probably messed up a lot of stuff in that regard. It should be a fairly short story, I'm guessing about twenty-five chapters long. Basically it's a combination between Alaskan hunting, Alaskan cross country running, and Hiccstrid romance. All towns, roads, schools, and race courses are real Alaskan places, most of which I have firsthand knowledge of. Hope you enjoy, and review with suggestions, thoughts, or criticism.**

 **And I don't own HTTYD in any way, shape, or form. I claim no rights whatsoever.**

Sixteen year old Henry Haddock swore loudly, his sharp voice cutting across the stillness of the Alaskan forest and making the red squirrel above him chirp in alarm, running down its branch to safety. Sighing, a pissed off Henry scowled and surveyed the cause of his distress.

His favorite beaver trap had been raided. Scattered all around were bits of brown fur and blood, where the entrapped animal had been torn to shreds and dragged off into the trees. The strong steel of the trap had been bent and the springs damaged due to the incident, and a torn beaver leg was still stuck in the trap's jaws. The animal that got his beaver had gotten it good.

Shouldering his rifle and kneeling down, Henry examined the source of the problem. Large bear tracks covered the area, with bits of torn fur among them. They led into the bushes on the right, along with a blood trail from the beaver's carcass. No doubt he would find the full remains of the animal in the thickets, where the bear would have stopped to eat his prey. Patting the soft mud, Henry calculated how long ago the bear had struck. It had been about ten hours ago, and by now the bear was long gone.

Groaning in despair, Henry took another look at the massive tracks. He knew them well - this bear had been raiding his traps since Henry was a child. Henry could tell it was the same bear simply because of the size of the tracks alone. They were unlike any he had ever seen on a grizzly. The claws alone were four inches long, and the paws bigger than his head. Henry had once borrowed a camera and photographed them. However, when he showed the pictures to Fish and Game, Alaska's Wildlife services, they thought it was a hoax, and laughed him out of their office. He never went there again.

In fact, no one ever seemed to believe his story of this bear. Henry had first met the creature right after his parents died. He was ten at the time, snaring rabbits outside the small town of Soldotna. His trapping mentor and by then adopted father, Gobber the Belch, had laughed when Henry told him that this one enormous bear was deliberately targeting his trap lines, and disclaimed it as funny nonsense. However, Gobber was a drunken old timer who was never truly sober, and Henry never got anything useful out of him except tips on hunting and trapping.

Gobber had been the best trapper in Alaska back in his day, until he had stepped in one of his own traps and lost a leg. Now all he did was run a small trapline, drink beer, and give advice to his adopted son, Henry, who did not even live at the same house. He also chuckled at Henry's stories of a massive grizzly bear, which Henry claimed was about as big as a car. He had told Henry that it was impossible, and that if such a beast existed he would have shot it long ago.

Henry knew better. With his heart set on revenge, he hunted the great bear, and soon became a master of silent stalking, tracking, and shooting in the Alaskan wild. Finding the beast seemed impossible, and Henry had been unable to track it past the Kenai River, where it walked on the rocks and swam to deliberately evade pursuers. He had only seen it three times in six years, and only once had managed to fire a shot at it, which had missed.

The bear was a highly intelligent animal, and due to the reddish-brown hue of its fur, Henry named it the Red Death. Henry had an intense rivalry with the beast, and wanted to kill it more than anything else in the world. Trapping was his very life, and the only way he knew how to survive on his own. Gobber had once talked to him about getting a job, but he had dismissed the idea.

Forgetting the bear, Henry cursed again at the loss of the beaver. This was late spring, and the last good sales prices on beaver pelts were still in place. He needed to catch about ten more furs just to break even this year, and hopefully enjoy his summer without having to worry about cash. The Red Death was not helping matters, as usual. Henry sighed in frustration. It had looked like a good sized beaver, too. Even though the bear had left hours ago, he decided to try and track it one more time. Checking his rifle to ensure it was loaded, he whistled for his companion to join him.

In a few minutes his friend arrived. Leaping through the bushes, Henry's large dog/wolf crossover, Toothless, bounded to Henry's side, his pink tongue hanging out his mouth eagerly. Pouncing on his friend, he began to lick Henry's face.

"Aww, stop it, bud!" Henry groaned, as Toothless covered his face in wolf saliva. "Knock it off! We've got no time to goof around. I'm hunting the Red Death again."

At the words 'Red Death,' Toothless leapt off and growled. Looking at the raided trap, he began to sniff around the area, moving slowly and carefully, as if treading on holy ground. Toothless shared the same respect for the Red Death that Henry did, for despite being a master sniffer, the Red Death had always eluded him as well.

"That's it, bud," Henry groaned, climbing to his feet. "Try and get a scent trail. I'm betting that he headed for the Kenai River again. Maybe this time I can find out where he crosses, and then, where he lives."

Toothless followed the tracks into the bushes, and then turned back with a mournful expression.

"Yeah, he got my nice beaver," Hiccup sighed. "Can you smell the Red Death out?"

Toothless whined unhappily.

"Aww, man," Hiccup said. "Too bad. But I guess he was here too long ago for us to follow, anyway. Let's go check the last bear trap and then head back to the cabin."

Shouldering his trusty Winchester rifle, Hiccup began to walk the next kilometer to where his last bear trap was. Rubbing Toothless' jet black fur, he tried to enjoy the last rays of sunlight in the chilly spring air. Toothless raised his head to look up at his friend.

Henry called Toothless a friend because he certainly didn't own the animal. Two years back he had been hired to kill the wolves that were raiding a secluded lodge off the Kenai River. It was good pay, and Henry had accepted the job. After three days, he had gunned down all the wolves but one – a big black beast that was as smart as a human.

Hiccup had never had a chance to shoot it, and instead set up an elaborate trap system where he expected the wolf to strike next. It had worked, and the next day Henry had walked up to the black wolf, whose leg was crushed in a well-placed trap. Henry had his rifle in hand, and his finger on the trigger as he approached.

And yet he couldn't kill the animal. The pained green eyes reminded him too much of his own, and instead he had freed the wolf, taking it with him to fix his leg. The only veterinarian in the small town refused to service wild wolves, and Henry had to save the animal himself, working like a dog for two weeks. After Toothless made a recovery, the two became fast friends and hunted, fished, and camped together. Toothless had a bad leg and always walked with a limp, but he still managed to become the Alpha of the wolfpack in Henry's trapping area. It was a fine thing for Henry, since Toothless always made sure to keep the pack away from his traps. He had named the wolf 'Toothless' because every time they wrestled, he never managed to actually bite Henry.

Coming to a high place where he could observe the bear trap unseen, Hiccup poked his head cautiously out of the bushes and looked down at the concealed device he was hoping the Red Death would step into one day. There was nothing, and the bait was still there.

"Aww, man," Henry sighed, pulling Toothless' ears. "Nothing there, bud. The blasted Red Death beat me again. I really need to catch him in the act and gun him down once and for all. Go ahead and run with your pack, Toothless. I'm going back to the cabin after I rebait the trap."

Toothless growled in excitement, and bounded off into the trees, where the last rays of sunlight flitted anxiously. Henry stared after his pet for a second, and then froze. He had heard something. Then he heard it again - there was a rustling in the trees near his trap.

Flinging himself to the ground, Henry snapped his Winchester over a fallen log and looked down to where the sound was coming from. Whatever it was, it was making a lot of noise and seemed to be headed directly into his trap. Henry breathed hard, laying as still as possible. If it was the Red Death, he would shoot it, and that would be much better than catching it in a trap, where the bear had a chance to escape. Henry wanted the entire beast stuffed and sitting in his living room, to look at every time he wanted to feel proud of himself. Or maybe he could sell the huge taxidermy recreation to a museum. People would pay a lot to look at a bear this size. Snapping the safety off his rifle, he stared down the scope towards the source of the noise.

"Come on, Red Death," he whispered. "Come to daddy."

The bushes continued to rustle, and Henry's finger tightened on the trigger. His leather camouflage suit was itchy. Would the bear just show itself?

The leaves parted, and the source of the noise stepped out, causing Henry to take his finger off the trigger in a hurry.

It wasn't a bear. It was a blonde-haired girl, jogging, with a heart rate monitor on her wrist and ear buds in her ears. She was wearing short shorts and a tight blue tanktop. Henry stared. What in the name of Thor was a runner like her doing out in the middle of nowhere, with no trails, and on his trap line, of all places?

Then he realized that she was running right into his bear trap. A few more steps and her perfect, smooth leg would be crushed in the jaws of his trap like a twig. Frantic, he realized her needed to get her attention immediately. So he did the only thing he could do to halt her progress.

"Stop!" he shouted, leaping to his feet and pointing the rifle at her. Startled, she stopped running, looked up at him, and froze. He was staring her down through the scope of his rifle, pointing the weapon at her chest.

"Don't move," he said, starting to walk towards her. The girl put her hands in the air, no doubt thinking that Henry was about to blow her head off with the gun.

And by the Gods, she was pretty.

 **Review, favorite, and follow! Cheers!**

 **NatB.**


	2. Meeting a Runner

**I was really surprised at the great response the first chapter of this story got, and I was encouraged to write more. So here is Chapter two of my Hiccstrid modern AU. Hope you like it!**

 **Also, even though I do know a lot about Alaska, some of the info regarding trapping regulations and land are probably untrue, but whatever. It's a fiction story. And I LOVE reviews - keep em coming, especially if you have any cool suggestions for me.**

Astrid Hofferson was startled out of her mind. The last thing she had expected to see while jogging in these woods was a person, and yet here one was, and he was pointing a rifle at her. She did the only thing that came to mind, and raised her hands, earbuds falling out of her ears.

"Hey, want do want?" Astrid called, her voice chilled. "I don't want any trouble."

The boy with the gun lowered his rifle slowly.

"Whatever you do, DON'T MOVE," he warned, raising his hand. Vaulting a fallen log, the boy shouldered his gun and began to walk down the hill towards her. Instinctively she took a step backwards.

"HHHYYAAT!" The boy shouted. " _Do not move_!"

"Look, I don't know what you want," Astrid said cautiously, standing very still. "I've got no money on me, you can see that, so what you want from me?"

"I just need you to stay still," he said, with a hint of frustration. Astrid could tell now that he was only a boy – he looked to be even younger than she was, about fifteen or sixteen years old. He had a mop of long, shaggy brown hair and odd green eyes. He bent down and picked up a thick, long stick.

"Look, what are you doing?!" Astrid shouted at him, staring at the stick. It looked like he was going to conk her over the head with it, and she raised her fists. She would have run away, but it looked like he could snap that rifle off his shoulder and gun her down in a second, so she decided to remain still. He was also acting very weird. He wasn't even looking at her, but rather at something down by her feet. Following his gaze, she saw nothing except what looked to be like a dead animal. Pretty typical for an Alaskan forest.

"You know," the boy said casually, as he walked closer to her, "this really isn't the best place to go for a run."

He paused about three feet in front of her, still staring at the ground.

"Look," Astrid said, exasperated. "I have no idea who you are, but what are you doing with that stick, and why are you staring at that dead animal on the ground?"

The boy, still looking carefully at the leafy dead animal, raised his hand.

"Just be quiet and take one big, SLOW step backwards."

Astrid did as requested, still staring at the boy's green eyes.

"Like I said, you should NOT be running in here," the boy said. He raised the stick to about shoulder height. "Because things can get -"

He let the stick fall. It struck the dead animal on the ground, and, quick as lightning, a massive four foot bear trap snapped shut. Astrid jumped as it closed with a terrifying bang, crushing the stick like it was a twig and suspending it above the ground. The sharp teeth of the trap looked very menacing.

"– dangerous." The boy finished, looking up at her for the first time.

"Wow," Astrid gasped in shock. "I almost – I almost -"

"Ran into that thing?" the boy interrupted, a serious look coming across his face. "Yes, you almost stepped in my bear trap. You would never have run again if you did. That's why you should totally NOT be in this area. For ten acres this entire land is layered with my snares and traps. I'm surprised I haven't had to drag your dead body out of one of them yet."

"I – I had no idea," Astrid stammered, recovering her composure. "I'm just out for a jog."

"We are nowhere near any trails at all," the boy asked, confused. "We are literally a mile away from any road or trail of any kind. Where did you come from?"

Astrid pointed behind her. "From the Sterling Highway. I stopped for a break and thought I'd just run in the forest." She shrugged. "I like doing that."

The boy's green eyes twinkled. "You're not from around here," he stated. "Anyone who lives here knows this is all trapping land. Where are you from?"

"You know, I really don't feel comfortable talking to you," Astrid stated. "You look like a really weird guy, and you were just pointing a gun at me a few seconds ago. I'll just turn around and go back, I promise. I'll be off your land in about ten minutes."

The boy raised his hands in exasperation.

"I had to point this gun at you to get you to stop," he argued. "I had absolutely no intention of ever _shooting_ you. In fact, I thought you were a bear, and that's why you're definitely not going back alone. There is a bear on the loose in here, and you don't have any defense of any kind, not even pepper spray. With _this_ bear you need a shotgun, at least."

Astrid paled. "There are bears in here?"

The boy burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking in unchecked amusement.

"I don't get what's so funny," Astrid growled.

The boy looked up at her, a big goofy grin on his face. "Look, are you from Mars or something?" he laughed. "Of COURSE there are bears in here! Good God, what do you think this trap is for? You can't be from Alaska, Blondie, or else you'd know this stuff. Where are you from?"

"Look," Astrid stated, beginning to get angry. "I just moved up here from New Orleans. I know nothing about the wilderness or any of this dumb stuff. Look, I just want to get back to my car and go."

"Well, you can't go alone," the boy stated. His goofy grin was still in place. "You'll get mauled or walk into another one of my traps. I'll have to show you the way out, New Orleans girl. This way."

He gestured in the direction Astrid had come in.

"I don't like you," Astrid stated. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're pretty rude."

The boy gestured for her to follow him, and he started to lead her back the way she had come. Astrid tucked her earbuds into the pockets of her shorts and went after him.

"You know, I'm really intrigued by your definition of rude," the boy grinned, slipping the strap of his gun over his head so that it rested more comfortably on his back. "If wanting to save people is considered rude, then I'm afraid I'm the most obnoxious person in the world."

"Shut up, you smartass," Astrid said. "I still think you could have done something else instead of pointing your dumb rifle at me. Next time, try something that won't give people a heart attack."

"Hey, don't call my rifle dumb," the boy joked. "It was smart enough to wait until it knew what it was looking at before it let me pull the trigger."

"Are you telling me that your rifle is smarter than you?" Astrid asked. She was beginning to warm up to his dry humor.

"Well, the rules for rifle possession in Alaska are that if the gun is more intelligent than you are, you can't buy it," the boy joked. "So, since this one is the smartest one in Alaska, I must be a genius."

"Stop being such a joker," Astrid reprimanded.

"Well, I'm sure I can be serious, too, blondie," the boy said, with the grin still on his face. "Let me try. All right, here we go. Since some hunters have very dumb rifles, if any of them had heard you it's very possible that you would be shot by now. How's that for serious?"

"You said it with that dumb grin on your face, smartass," Astrid glared. "So it took most of the severity out of it."

"All right, no grin this time," the boy said, erasing the one he had on at the moment. "Anyway, since you could have been shot by an incompetent hunter, you were lucky that you _ran into_ me instead."

"Good God, puns now?" Astrid groaned, as the boy started to laugh. "Seriously, do you do nothing but joke around?"

"I made a point," the boy grinned. "Even the most serious things can be made funny, in my opinion. I was saying you were really fortunate to not have been shot. I could have been more careless and killed or seriously injured you."

"Or I could walked into that trap and broke a leg," Astrid mused.

"Yea, that would have been pretty _lame_ ," the boy grinned, and ducked as Astrid swatted at him with her hand.

"Come on, is the word 'serious' even in your dictionary?" Astrid demanded, shaking her head.

"I don't have a dictionary," the boy replied, straightening up.

"Oh, pshaw, you don't need to OWN a dictionary to know what's in it," Astrid argued. "Just go on the damn internet and look it up."

"I've never been on the internet," the boy answered.

Astrid stared. "What?"

"I don't have internet. I don't have a TV. I don't really have anything at all, except a smart rifle, a pet wolf, and a tough rivalry with a grizzly bear. I live in a cabin and am secluded from pretty much everything. I don't go into town; I don't have a cell phone, and don't go to school like normal teenage people."

Astrid was gaping in disbelief. "You don't have internet, a TV, friends, or anything?" she demanded. "Seriously, what kind of a life do you have? What kind of parents raised you like this?"

The boy's ceaseless smile abruptly faded.

"I don't have any parents," he said quietly. "Come on, let's hurry up. I've got to get home, and walking you through this forest is wasting my evening."

He walked ahead of her, and Astrid quickened her pace to match his. There was a long, awkward silence for about ten minutes as the boy ploughed through the brush and led her out of the forest.

Presently Astrid spoke again.

"Listen, you're telling me that you're a loner that hunts and traps for a living?"

"That I am," the boy sighed. "It's all I really know how to do. All my life I've stalked and trapped in the wild. Sixteen years of cooking meat I hunted myself and selling furs to make enough money to buy new traps and ammo. It's the same old story every time. What about you? You look to be about my age. How have you spent your life? Sweet and happy in a loving home with a whole bunch of friends, a TV, and a real life, I assume? Why did you ever even bother to come here?"

There was a bitter taste in his voice.

Astrid replied. "My parents are rich, and we just moved up here because of the new oil stuff that's going on in here. My dad's a big name in the oil industry, and he's overseeing a lot of the new work that's happening up in Prudhoe Bay."

The green eyed boy smiled. "Oil," he said. "It's the best thing that ever happened up in this cold, barren state since the damned gold rush. So many more people, new jobs, and lots more furs wanted." He smiled. "That's all I really care about. Oil drilling and the whole economy thing aren't for me. All the rich assholes can deal with that stuff."

He kept walking, and Astrid frowned. "Look, I'm not mad, but why did you call my parents – and me too – assholes? We're rich because we worked for it. I don't think we deserve to be insulted for that."

"Sure," the boy replied. "I don't doubt the effort your parents put in. And you've probably earned all you have as well. I'm just disappointed in the attitude people like you have. That's why I call them assholes. I've just found in my experience that rich people take a lot of stuff for granted that really shouldn't be. You also don't appreciate the small things in life."

"I disagree with you," Astrid argued. "I appreciate a lot of things."

"And yet you never thanked me."

Astrid huffed. "Fine, smartass, _thank you_ for doing what anyone would have done in the same situation."

"See? That's what I mean, taking things for granted. Most rich people do that. You believe I should have saved your life, and you're right, I agree with you. But was I expected to? No. If I hadn't been there and taken the effort to warn you, you would be in serious trouble. So that's why you thank me, because even though I should have done it anyway, it still deserves your appreciation."

"Look, I said thank you, okay?" Astrid laughed. "You don't have to rub your _heroism_ in my face."

The boy laughed. "Heroism, huh? I think that's the first time anyone's ever called me a hero."

"I didn't call you a hero!" Astrid corrected. "I was being sarcastic. I'm trying to talk on your dumb sarcastic terms."

"I'm proud of my sense of humor, girl," the boy laughed. "It's the only thing that keeps me sane around here. I have to find out ways to amuse myself, since I'm always alone."

The boy stopped and then pointed. "The Sterling Highway is right ahead. You're a fast walker. Usually I outpace anyone in these woods, and you kept up no problem."

"I'm a runner, okay?" Astrid explained, as if it was obvious. "I could have run back in like three minutes, and this walk took ten, at least. I think _you're_ the slow one."

"You know, I really don't know what the term _runner_ means," the boy answered. "I can move my legs a little faster and then I become a _runner_ too. But I think I get the idea. Real runners need to have earbuds, a tanktop, and sexy shorts in order to qualify as actual runners, right?"

"That's not true at all!" Astrid retorted. "I'm a _cross country_ runner. That means I run a certain distance with a whole bunch of other runners and I try to beat them in the race. That's what makes you a runner, when you're on a team and compete with other teams."

"I assume you ran for a – a High School back in New Orleans?" the boy asked.

"That's right," Astrid replied. "And I'll be doing the same thing this year. I have two more years of school before college."

"You get to go to college?" the boy asked, wistfully.

"Yes," Astrid replied. "And my 'rich asshole parents' will not be paying for it. Once I run my first race as a junior, I'll be getting all kinds of scholarships. I'm really fast."

The boy turned to look at her.

"Wait, so I just saved you entire college career by making sure you didn't step in that trap?" he asked, and before Astrid could answer, he whooped. "Yeah! I did! I actually do feel like a hero now!"

"Look, I'm trying not to think of what would have happened had I stepped in your dumb trap," Astrid snapped. "And yet here you go whooping it up like the whole world should know."

"I finally did something that was actually awesome!" the boy complained. "No one ever saw all the cool stuff I've done, like hitting a rabbit in the head from a crazy distance, and the big one that got away. Now someone has! I feel great!"

"Well, I don't," Astrid reprimanded. "I would prefer to forget that any of this ever happened. And I can see the road. Where's the parking area I came from?"

"It's a little to the left," the boy replied, peering through the trees. "And really, can I get a signed statement from you saying that I actually did something cool? I'm going to show it to Gobber tonight."

"Who the hell is Gobber?" Astrid demanded. "That's the craziest name I've ever heard."

"Gobber is my stepdad," the boy answered. "And he's a drunken dude that does nothing but make fun of me, in a good-natured way. I like him, and he'll get a huge kick out of a signed statement from a beautiful girl."

"Well, maybe I'll give you one," Astrid said, blushing at what he called her.

"Well, here's your parking area," the boy said, stepping through the trees and onto a paved surface. "And let me guess – that fancy silver car over there is yours, right?"

"There are only two cars here," Astrid argued. "And the other is a beat up old pickup that I obviously don't drive. So that wasn't exactly a _guess_ , smartass."

The boy shrugged, as he walked up to her car. It was a sleek light silver Prius, but Astrid doubted that he knew that.

"I assume you don't have a car?" Astrid asked, taking out her keys.

"You would assume right," the boy replied. "The closest thing I have to a car is a dog sled." He sighed.

"Well," Astrid said, unlocking her car door and opening it, "Thank you again for saving my life."

"Anytime, blondie," the boy muttered, still admiring the automobile.

"Look, were you serious about that signed statement thing?" Astrid asked. "Because I at least owe you that."

The boy smiled. "Yeah, sure, why not. Just write, 'the bearer of this paper has done a very heroic deed,' and then sign it. Boy, I'm going to have so much fun with this."

Astrid shook her head and reached in her car for a pencil and notebook.

"All right," she answered with a sigh, and started to write what he dictated on a page of her pink notebook. She signed it, finished it, and tore it out.

"There you go, smartass," she said, and handed him the paper. With a big goofy grin, the boy reached for it, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. It was the closest up Astrid had seen him, and he actually looked – cute.

Their fingers touched as he took the torn page. It was brief, but it sent tingles down Astrid's hand. It was like no other touch she had ever felt. His hands were tough, but still soft and gentle. It was unnerving, and she hastily removed her hand. Embarrassed, she stepped into her car and rolled down the window so they could talk. The boy leaned on the car and spoke.

"All right, miss, I've got three tips for future use as a new Alaskan. One, don't go running in a spot that you don't know is safe, and never leave the trails whenever you do. Second, don't go running outside at all without some kind of defense; Mace or pepper spray are okay, but I recommend a good pistol. And third, always go with a friend. Together you make more noise, and bears and other predators tend to stay away from that. Also, if one of you steps in a trap and breaks a leg, the other one can get you out or go get help. Buddy system is always the best way."

"How come _you_ roam around alone, then?" Astrid asked. "You have no buddy with you."

The boy grinned. "I have a buddy, honey. He's always nearby, looking out for me, although sometimes I don't know it. Besides, I have the sense go around without a firearm, and you don't."

The boy folded the paper Astrid had given him and tucked it into a pocket on his leather jacket, still giving her that impish grin of his. Astrid was beginning to think it was hot.

Just then a lonely howl sounded in the distance of the forest, and Astrid yelped.

The boy, though, cocked his ears and turned around.

"Toothless is calling for me," he muttered aloud. "I really should go back home. What time is it?"

He stared at the sun, squinting in an attempt to gauge the time. Astrid turned to the passenger seat and dug around for her phone that she had tossed in. After a few seconds, she found it and spoke.

"Hey smartass," she said, as she found her phone and swiped it to look at the time. "Its 8:34, and I never did get your name."

There was no answer, and Astrid, surprised, whirled around.

The boy was gone.

 **Review, Favorite, and Follow! Cheers!**

 **NatB.**


	3. Meeting a Stepdad

**A huge thanks to all my followers, favs, and reviewers! You guys are awesome! I had no idea this story would be so popular so early. A little bit of vulgar language here, too: my characters, like myself, don't watch their mouths.**

Henry plodded wearily up the front steps of the wooden porch, the red sun sinking in the distance. His trusty rifle felt heavier than normal and after a hard trek in the woods all day, he was glad to take it off his shoulder and sigh. Reaching for the door, he pulled the catch and stepped in.

This house was odd, even for a cabin. Furs were all over the floor in no particular order. Hanging from the rafters of the small cabin were loads of old traps and guns, along with skis, sleds, and snowshoes. On the wall were the heads, skulls, and claws of pretty much every animal that existed in the state of Alaska. There was also plenty of hard-carved furniture and a big red couch.

With a yawn and a stretch, Henry took his Winchester and his damaged beaver trap off his back. He leaned the rifle carefully against the wall, but the trap he dropped on the floor with a bang, chains clattering.

"Ya ever feel like knockin, kid?" a voice said from a side doorway, and Gobber the Belch, Henry's stepfather, hobbled in on his wooden peg leg, an open beer bottle in his hand.

"Come on, Gobber," Henry groaned, walking over to the sofa and sitting down in it with a long sigh. "I've had a hard-ass day. Of course I'm now I'm _way_ too tired to raise my hand and hit something like a door."

"Any interestin stuff happen today?" Gobber asked, leaning on the door frame.

"Geez," Henry said, stretching his legs. "That's putting it - mildly."

"Well, I'll get ya a beer and ya can tell me about it." Gobber turned around and began to go back from where he had come.

"I'm sixteen, Gobber," Henry called after him. "You know it's illegal for me to drink for another five years."

"Ahh, who'll ever find out?" Gobber laughed, hobbling back into his kitchen and opening his small refrigerator. "Besides, you've done it a thousand times before, kid. Quit pretendin you're an angel. What kind do ya want? Sammy Adams or a Bud?

"Sam Adams!" Henry called. "Budweiser is shit!"

"Right on, kid," Gobber laughed, bustling in the kitchen for a minute before walking back in with an open beer for Henry. Heading to the couch, he handed his son the bottle and sat down.

"So what's up, kid? What made you feel the need to stop by your old man's place for a chat?"

Henry sighed, gulping his beer.

"It's a long story, Gobber. First of all, that big bear is raiding my beaver traps again. I need a few more furs just to break even this year and have a fun summer like I've been hoping for. This bear is really biting off my line by stealing so many of my pelts. And I swear this grizzly devil's doing it on purpose."

"Are ya still goin on bout that huge-ass red bear?" Gobber laughed. "Come on, Henry, that was a good joke ten years ago, but now it's getting a little lame."

"Damn it, it's real, Gobber!" Henry complained, plowing his hands through his long brown hair. "So what if I've only seen the thing three times, it's _enormous_. Remember those pictures I showed you, like ages ago?"

"Now, kid, don't start BS-ing your old man again," Gobber groaned, taking another drink from his beer. "There's no way on earth that a bear could be the size you say it is, but it could be a smart one. Anyway, this beer is good."

"How can you manage to drink Budwieser, Gobber?" Henry demanded, gesturing to the bottle in Gobber's hand. "Seriously, that stuff is disgusting. It tastes like liquefied dog shit."

"This is high quality liquefied dog shit, kid," Gobber replied, pointing at his bottle. "You'll like it better when you grow up."

"You know Gobber, I'm really hoping that I won't drink beer at all when I grow up."

"Whatddya talkin about, kid? If ya really didn't wanna drink ya wouldn't be doin it right now."

"Look, Gobber," Henry said, turning to face the old man. "I'm a great trapper, I know the forests, and I'm a master hunter, but I don't plan on being here forever." Hiccup gestured to the door. "You know, most kids my age are rocking it out in High School and are more concerned about whether their cell phone battery is charged than money and the responsibilities of life. But I'm different, Gobber. I've been cheated out of a proper childhood, and I've been thinking about what I want to do with my life. Don't get me wrong, Gobber, I like it here, but-"

Henry paused.

"But what, kid?" Gobber asked.

"There's got to be something _better_ for me, Gobber. There's a whole other world out there, beyond the trap lines and deadfalls and all my ammo and camouflage gear. It's there, somewhere, and my problem is that I just haven't found it yet. There are people out there who are living life the way it's supposed to be lived, and here I am, sitting on the couch of a cabin in the middle of nowhere sipping beer and whining. Look, Gobber, I know my parents would want me to do what I think best for me, but it's a little too complex for me to decide."

"Well, if ya want to start livin normally, kid, then ya should go into town and look to get a job," Gobber mused.

Henry spread his hands.

"A job, Gobber? THIS is my job. I am a master at hunting, fishing, trapping, you name it. I make a better living with this than I could down in Soldotna. Where would I work, like Walmart or something like that?"

"I could get ya into a tackle shop or a trapping store," Gobber suggested. "I'm still a legend down there."

Henry shook his head.

"That's just not calling to me, Gobber. In fact, do you know what I need? A damn good rest. I need to NOT WORK for like a year. I need to just sit back and sleep for a month. I want to relax, I want to – I want to go to High School and be like the rest of the kids. I've been studying here, Gobber. I could get by with the limited knowledge I have. There's nothing to stop me from going and graduating like everyone else – except one thing."

"Money," Gobber said gloomily.

"Money," Henry agreed, taking a long drink from his beer. "I can't go to school and trap at the same time. With transportation, costs, and loss of time, I wouldn't be able to do it, and you're too old to run a good trapline that can support both of us."

Gobber nodded gloomily, looking down at his peg leg.

"God damn it, Henry, I wish I could help ya, kid. I know you've been hittin the books – you spent all your own money last year on those dumbass Algebra textbooks. I know you wanna go to school, to go to college, to be normal like the rest of the civilized world. But there's not a whole lot I can do for ya, Henry."

Henry nodded in agreement. "I'm not mad, Gobber. I mean, I am, but not at you. You've done all you could for me since my parents died, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, really I do."

Gobber reached over and patted Henry's shoulder.

"Thanks, kid," he said quietly.

Henry shrugged, and then grinned.

"OK, Gobber, screw all this serious shit. I've got a hypothetical question for you."

"Mhm," Gobber replied, gulping his beer.

Henry adjusted his position on the couch, wanting to see his stepdad's reaction.

"OK, so imagine you were out checking your traps on a normal, dull day as always, right?"

Gobber grinned. "It's not hard to picture that scene."

Hiccup laughed. "OK, so you're just minding your own business and then, all of a sudden, out of fucking nowhere, this smoking hot blonde shows up. I mean, literally, like out of nowhere. She's just running through the woods in her sexy Nike shorts and tanktop like she owns the place. What the hell would you do? Oh yeah, and she's also about to step in your best bear trap."

Gobber stared.

"OK, well, that's impossible, kid," he laughed. "But if I ever did see such a thing, I would just let her get caught in the trap to teach her a damn lesson. What the hell would a girl be doin runnin through my trappin land? I would'a let her run right into my trap, and then I'd a shot her for being so dumb."

Henry laughed.

"OK, here's another hypothetical question. What would you say if I told you that I did in fact see a gorgeous blonde just running through my land without a thought or care?"

Gobber stared, putting his beer down. "Are you bein serious, kid?"

"I am dead serious. I saw her. I talked to her. I walked her back to her car."

"Are you shittin me, Henry?" Gobber laughed. "I mean, for real, are you serious, or are ya just pulling your old man's leg?"

Henry grinned. "I swear on the stuffed head of the bull moose you shot in 1987 that I am being completely serious. I saw a girl running through the woods, literally just about to run into one of my bear traps, honest to the Gods. That's why I came here, to tell you about it. Like I said, it's been a long day."

Gobber was gawking. "What the hell? What did ya do?"

"I saved her life is what I did. I stopped her before she ran into my trap and then walked her back to the Sterling Highway. She called me a hero, I swear to God."

"Now _that_ I know is bullshit, Henry."

"Bullshit my ass, Gobber! I even had her sign a paper for me. Check it out."

Henry pulled the notepage out of his jacket pocket and handed it to the old man. Gobber took it and stared, peering closer to read the words that were scrawled on the sheet.

"No fuckin way," Gobber laughed.

Henry grinned. "Told you. She thanked me and then gave me that, just so I could come back and rub it in your face that I've seen, talked to, and was praised by a beautiful girl."

Gobber shook his head in disbelief. "Ya know kid, I've been trappin for 47 years and I aint never heard a story that crazy. I'll be tellin it at the bar next time I go into town. What was her name?"

"It's right there on the paper, isn't it? I mean, she signed it, right?"

Gobber peered down at the name, elegantly written on the folded paper.

"Astrid Hofferson."

"Astrid," Henry mused tapping the glass of his beer bottle. "That's an interesting name. Norse? Swedish?"

"Geez, Henry, I wouldn't know. You're the smart one around here, not me."

"Hmm," Henry mused, staring at the paper. "Well, whatever. I'm going to go to my place and get some sleep. I'll be heading into town tomorrow to get that trap fixed - the damn bear destroyed it. Need anything when I go?" Henry stood up and folded the paper once more, placing it back in his pocket.

"I would say beer, but ya can't buy that yet, can you?" Gobber mused.

"No, I can't, Gobber," Henry laughed. "Like I told you before, I'm only sixteen."

"Dammit, Henry, why can't ya grow older?" Gobber laughed.

"Geez, Gobber, even if I could, I wouldn't." Henry got up off the couch and drained the rest of his beer. "Is there anything I can actually get that you want?"

"Nope, kid. Just go get your shit done. Will you drop by tomorrow?"

"Probably not. In fact, I definitely won't unless I meet another crazy hot chick that I need to tell you about." Henry picked up the damaged trap off the floor and shouldered his rifle once more, preparing to leave.

"All right, kid," Gobber replied, yawning from his seat on the couch. "Hey, by the way, how come you don't _want_ to get older faster? I sure did when I was your age."

"Because then I'll be closer to becoming like you," Henry grinned, opening the door. "And that is something I do NOT want to happen."

"Ahh, go fuck yourself, kid." Gobber chuckled, leaning back on the couch.

"Love you too, Gobber."

Henry swung the door closed and walked briskly down the wooden steps from the porch. It was almost dark now, and the last rays of red sunlight were flitting over the pines in the west.

Henry took a deep breath, taking in the evening air.

"Come on, life," he whispered. "Give me a chance to be normal."

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 **NatB.**


	4. Million Dollar Antlers

**Chapter four… enjoy! A shoutout to all the reviewers again! Love you guys!**

Astrid's silver Prius zoomed into the fancy driveway of her new home in West Anchorage. It had been a long, strenuous trip from Soldotna to Anchorage, and it had taken her about three hours of hard driving. She had stopped for gas and a bite to eat in the nearby town of Girdwood, but she was still utterly exhausted. Turning off her car, she got out and walked around to the trunk to pick up her gear.

Astrid had been stunned at the stark difference between the small town of Soldotna and the massive city of Anchorage. Soldotna had been little more than a road with a bunch of businesses on the side. Anchorage, however, was a real city. It still did not even compare to New Orleans, but Astrid had to admit that for an Alaskan city it was quite impressive. Tall buildings could be seen in the north towards downtown, and there was a fair number of freeways and roundabouts.

Astrid had to chuckle, however, at the names of the buildings that were the tallest. Almost all of them were oil related. The tallest, ConocoPhillips, was an oil company. The good sized building that she had driven past in Midtown was BP, the oil company that her father worked for. It was so obvious that it was laughable; oil meant money around here. That hunter she had met in Soldotna was right; oil had certainly changed the state of Alaska drastically, and most likely for the better.

Shouldering her bags, Astrid walked up to the front door of the massive house in front of her. Smiling, she paused to look up at the glorious, extravagant building. She had only seen it in Real Estate photos, and this was the first time that she had looked at the place in person. The pictures hadn't done it justice. It was fully three stories high and overlooked the Turnagain Arm, with a beautiful view of the mountains across the water to the West. In the blooming spring weather it looked absolutely marvelous. Her parents had certainly spared no expense when they had bought the home.

With a smile on her face, Astrid reached for the handle of the front door and pushed it open, entering the luxurious house.

"Hey mom!" she called out, closing the door and setting her bags down. "I'm here!"

"Astrid!" Someone called from inside the house, and in a second Ingrid Hofferson, Astrid's mother, appeared from around a corner.

"Astrid!" she exclaimed, hugging her daughter. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

"You too, mom," Astrid said, embracing her mother.

"How was the drive?" her mother questioned anxiously, brushing a loose hair from Astrid's face. "You look plumb tired out, girl. Maybe your father and I should have insisted on your flying from Soldotna to here."

Astrid laughed. "Come on, mom, I've been on a plane since I left New Orleans. The drive was a welcome change. It was a little long, but still enjoyable. Alaska sure is magnificent. I got to drive right through the huge mountains across the bay. It was pretty awesome, and I got to see some Dall sheep on the rock faces."

"How cool!" her mother laughed. "Your father and I never got to see any of that from the sky, but we're planning on heading out to do some regular tourist stuff in a few weeks. Come and sit down, Astrid! I'll get you some coffee."

"Where is dad?" Astrid asked, as she followed her mother into the kitchen.

"Oh, he went into the office," Ingrid replied, taking the coffee off the maker. "He wanted to go meet some of his co-workers and get settled in. We've only been here for a day or two, and he's already off."

"Dad works too much," Astrid frowned, as Ingrid brought her a steaming cup of coffee, Astrid's favorite.

"That's what I told him," Ingrid laughed, leaning on the counter across from Astrid. "I wanted him to just rest for a few days, but he insisted that he go in and grind. Even after being married for almost twenty years and I still don't understand why he loves to work so much."

"Hmmm," Astrid murmured, sipping her hot drink.

"So, the drive was uneventful?" Ingrid asked. "Did you stop and take a run like you swore you would?"

"I did, actually," Astrid replied. "And I learned a valuable lesson. Do not go running in Alaska unless you are prepared to fight bears and other beasts."

Ingrid gasped. "Did you run into a wild animal?"

Astrid shook her head. "No. But I did run into a hunter. He almost shot me because I wasn't supposed to be there. He told me to never go running unless I had someone with me and knew exactly what I was running on. I almost stepped in a bear trap of his."

Ingrid looked horrified. "Astrid, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. "Did you get hurt?"

"Oh, no," Astrid laughed. "This guy was really nice. He walked me out of the place, and gave me some useful tips. He was funny, too. I liked him."

Ingrid looked greatly relieved. "So you didn't get injured or attacked by any wild animals?"

"No!" Astrid laughed. "As soon as I ran into this boy, I was perfectly safe. He had a gun, and he knew how to use it. There was no way I could have gotten hurt after that."

"He was a boy?" Ingrid asked. "What do you mean, a boy? How old was he?"

"He looked like he was only about my age," Astrid mused. "Which was odd. He said his parents were dead and apparently he hunts and traps for a living. He has never owned a cell phone or a car or anything like that, and he was really awed by my Prius. It made me sad."

Ingrid sighed. "What was his name?"

Astrid frowned. "I actually never got his name. He left me real sudden after we got back to my car, and I never was able to ask him who he was. Anyway, whatever. I'll probably never see him again."

* * *

Henry Haddock's boots crunched on the dried leaves as he made his way down the steep trail into town. He had been up at four in the morning in order to check his traps and bring in game before the repair shops opened in Soldotna. He had gotten two fine beaver pelts overnight, and he was in a good mood as he made one of his rare treks into the town, the rising sun flitting through the pines and into his eyes.

Passing through the trees, he heard the rumble of cars on the Kalifornsky Beach Highway in front of him. He was almost in town now. He could not be seen in public carrying a rifle, so he found a good place to stash it before heading out onto the muddy four-wheeler trail that passed alongside the paved road.

Henry always felt threatened when he went into a public setting. His natural hunter's instinct always kicked in, making him look at every unknown person as a threat. As he walked into the outskirts of the small town, and began to see people, he could not help but slide his hand inside his camouflage coat to touch his big hunting knife, which could serve as a great defense if he was ever attacked. Henry constantly told himself that there was no danger, but he still felt careful and overly cautious every time he walked among strangers.

His leather boots tapped on the paved sidewalk as he crossed the Kenai River Bridge, bound for the trapping and hunting store on the other side of the river. Looking down below at the running water, Henry shook his head in amusement at the built in boardwalk where people could fish in comfort. Henry never went there. When the fishing season was on hand, he always found a deserted spot further downstream so that he could angle in peace and quiet, and also without having to worry about being checked for a license. Gobber was outraged at how much fishing licenses cost nowadays. Back when the old man was a boy, he swore that he could go down to the river and catch a garbage bag full of fish and not have to worry about dumb regulations and limits. Now, things were getting too modern, even in Alaska.

"The damn government is taking over everything," Gobber would constantly complain. "Now ya gotta pay to hunt, pay to trap, and pay to fish, for God's sake! And then, when you sell the stuff ya had to pay to get, ya get fucking taxed up your ass! It's bullshit, Henry, that's what I'm tellin ya. If ya can get away with breakin the law, do it, that's your old man's advice. Good God, what is Alaska comin to?" Then Gobber would take another gulp of beer.

 _The old man was right, though,_ Henry mused. _It's all becoming too commercialized up here. The true spirit of hunting is being taken away. It's all for sport now, not for living. The dumb politicians never think of the people that do this in order to survive._

However, Henry banished those thoughts from his mind as he approached the entrance to Jimmy's Hunting and Trapping store, which was where he always went to buy new traps and snares. Swinging open the old wooden door, Henry stepped into the compact, neatly organized store.

This shop was decades old, and had been here since Gobber was a boy. It was run by an elderly man named Jimmy Benson, and he simply did not want to die. Jimmy had been running the shop for seventy years, and he was currently ninety-five. He was too old to do most of the work that he used to, so he had hired a sassy young lad with sandy hair named Ned Barker to do the labor. Ned now handled all the stuff in the shop with a keen eye and a witty mouth. Henry liked him, and the two always bantered and chatted every time Henry came in. As Henry entered the store Ned looked up from his work, chewing gum.

"Hey, what's up, Henry?" he asked jovially from behind the counter. "Good to see you back, skinny. What can I do for you today, maybe get you some furs, since you can't get any yourself?"

"Good to see you too, Ned," Henry grinned, as he walked across the store to the old wooden counter. No one else was in the place. "And why don't you take your furs and shove them up your ass, buddy. I just need two more beaver pelts and then I'll be selling them to _you,_ not the other way around. Is Jimmy still paying the regular price for beaver hides at this time of year?"

"Yessir, he is," Ned replied, still chewing his gum unconcernedly. "Only for another week, though, so get them in here by next Monday. Tryin to make a little money, eh, Haddock?"

"I'm hoping to," Henry grinned, unslinging the trap from his back. "But I need to have good traps if I'm going to do that."

"Whatcha got there?" Ned asked, spitting out his gum and sticking it to the counter. "That doesn't look pretty to me."

"Well, I've got another broken trap," Henry sighed, pulling the bent metal trap off his back and placing it on the counter with a thud. "The springs got broken, and the jaw has been twisted. Jimmy'll know how to fix it."

Ned whistled in amazement as he saw the damage, reaching for the trap.

"Geez, Henry, what's doing this to your stuff?" he asked, grabbing the trap and turning it over to examine the springs. "I mean, this is solid steel right here." He knocked on the jaws of the trap with his knuckles. "Whatever did this must have been strong as a bull."

"It's the bear I told you about," Henry answered. "You know, the massive brute that terrorizes my hunting grounds. This thing is highly intelligent and incredibly powerful. I don't know how it manages to destroy my traps like that, and I can't seem to be able to hunt him down to get rid of him. He always loses me on the river. Anyway, the trap's busted. How much will it cost to fix, Ned?"

Ned scratched his head, sliding a pack of gum across the counter to his friend. "I dunno, Henry, about twenty bucks. Jimmy'll probably give you a discount or some old shit like that, since you're a 'loyal customer.'" Ned made quotation marks with his fingers. "If it were up to me I'd charge you double, Haddock."

Henry laughed as he accepted Ned's gum. "Good God, Ned, were you born an asshole, or did you have to practice?"

Ned grinned and clapped Henry on the shoulder. "You're getting sassier, Haddock. I'm liking it. At any rate, this trap will get fixed right away. I'll let Jimmy know we've got it and then he'll take care of it in no time. The old man can't stand to have anything broken lying around. Anyway, did you hear the big news?"

"No," Henry said, unwrapping a piece of gum and looking up with mild interest. "What's the scoop?"

Ned grinned, tossing Henry's beaver trap onto a shelf behind the counter. "Well, you're not going to believe this, Haddock, but here you go. This rich asshole from like New Mexico called up Fish and Game last night. This crazy guy wants the stuffed head of a real albino bull moose, with antlers around five feet wide. Can you believe that shit?"

Henry laughed, putting his gum in his mouth. "Another idiot, huh?" he asked, chewing. "What's the big deal this time, though? People ask for that shit every month."

"Well, this guy's paying a million bucks for it," Ned stated.

Henry froze, his gum sticking in his mouth. "What did you say?" he asked incredulously.

"He's paying a million dollars for it," Ned repeated, a broad grin on his face. "Yep. I thought you'd be shocked. Who knows what those rich lunatics want us to kill next, maybe Pegasus? I bet this clown's a drug dealer or some shit like that if he can afford to toss around cash like that. I think he said he wanted it to hang over his bed."

Henry wasn't listening. As soon as Ned had said a million dollars, he had become greatly agitated.

"Look Ned," he said hoarsely, leaning on the counter and spitting out his gum. "What exactly does he want? An albino bull moose with sixty inch antlers?"

Ned stared. "Yeah, that's what Fish and Game told me he said. Look, Haddock, why are you so enthusiastic? What's the matter, have you seen an albino recently that you can get? Come on, you know how rare those things are."

Henry snapped upright. "Ned, keep the trap," he said excitedly. "I'll be back for it in about a week or so, or I'll send Gobber in to get it for me. Right now I need to get packed for a trip. I've got to go hunt some albino moose!"

Ned gaped. "You're going for it?!" he queried, stunned. "Haddock, have you lost your mind, or do you already have an albino on your wall at home?"

Henry laughed, running to the door. "This dude is willing to pay me a million bucks," he shouted. "For a damn albino moose head! Oh, yes, this is my lucky day! He wants an albino bull moose."

He opened the door and looked excitedly back at his friend.

"And I know just where to find one."

 **Follow, Favorite, Review! Cheers!**

 **NatB.**


	5. A Fateful Hunt

**WOWWWW! Over a hundred followers already! I had NO idea people would like this story so much, but I'm totally glad you do. It really helps to motivate me and certainly makes me write faster!**

 **Anyway, in this chapter we get to see a little bit of how Astrid is doing in the city, kicking ass at running. We also get to check out how Henry's million dollar hunting trip goes terribly,** ** _terribly_** **wrong. Read on!**

 **A huge thanks to all the reviewers in particular! There was an issue with the reviews for a while, and I wasn't able to reply to you guys on FanFiction, so I'll just do it here, at the start of the story, from now on. It's easier like this anyway. So here goes, Chapter 4 reviewers! Replies at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Henry Haddock had never run so fast in his life. With the wind at his heels, he had raced across the Kenai River Bridge, retrieved his rifle from its hiding place, charged up the steep hill that he had come down earlier, and sprinted to his house. That was one of the main benefits of hunting for ten years; his legs were as strong as steel engines. He wasn't even tired as he raced up the steps of his own small cabin on the outskirts of Soldotna.

Throwing open his door, he immediately raced for the kitchen. From the rafters there, he seized his hunting buckboard, which was already equipped for a long trek. He always kept it ready, and it was certainly paying off now. Time was of the utmost importance, and having a quick start on the moose could make a difference in obtaining a million dollars.

Opening his cupboard, he pulled out a stack of extra-large chocolate bars. Henry always vowed that the best food for a hunting trip was just pure, straight chocolate. Energy was what was vital to a long hike through the wilds of Alaska, which was exactly what he was planning to do. Chocolate was the best and tastiest way to ensure that he was bright and energized after ten miles of hiking with a heavy bundle.

As he hurriedly packed the rest of his gear, such as extra cartridges, a rain slicker, and an extra pair of socks, he recalled the reason he had a chance at a million dollars.

About two months ago, Henry had been scouting a new trapline for snowshoe hares near the Funny River. It was late February, and the entire landscape was covered in a fresh layer of snow. Even the pines were laden so heavily with the white powder that their evergreen needles were invisible. It was like a world of pure whiteness, for the snow was still falling, creating immaculately clean scenery.

Henry hadn't seen anything through the falling snowflakes, but Toothless, who was plodding along with him in the deep snow, had suddenly stopped and growled. Henry knew that every time his wolf snarled like that meant Toothless saw big game. So Henry flung himself flat in the deep snow and pulled out his rifle, removing the warm rag that kept the firing mechanism from freezing.

Toothless was crouching beside him, trying to conceal his jet black fur coat from whatever was approaching. Henry had no fear of being seen himself, for he was wearing all white in order to blend in completely with his surroundings. Also, he was now buried in the snow with only his arms, head, and rifle visible. But, alert as he was, he had not seen anything. Cautiously Henry had snapped the safety off his gun, waiting for the animal to show itself in the white blur of snowflakes.

Then, all of sudden, it appeared out of nowhere, and Henry realized how he hadn't noticed it sooner. A white moose, a bull, with antlers fully six feet in width, emerged from the trees. Standing at least six and a half feet high, and with massive, glorious antlers that were every hunter's dream, it was quite the prize. Toothless, who was crouching beside Henry, was practically salivating in anticipation. Every time Henry shot a moose, he would always take the choice cuts and let Toothless eat the rest. So naturally his friend was excited when Henry had his sights on a big kill. But Henry simply couldn't pull the trigger.

Henry had heard about albinos. It was a rare genetic disorder that happened to almost every species of animals at some point in time. However, to actually see one was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Henry had in fact seen an albino squirrel before, but it had not even come close to becoming as majestic as this Bull Moose was.

As Henry hesitated to make the kill, Toothless had actually nudged him with his nose, as if to say, 'Come on, stupid human! Use the bang-stick already!' But Henry had shaken his head. The animal was simply too magnificent to destroy. Henry was content to lie in the snow and observe as the bull made its way over to a snow-covered bush and began to eat.

If Henry had been told at that moment that shooting this animal would bring him a million dollars, he would have pumped five rounds into the moose without a second's hesitation. But at the time, Henry saw no need. It wasn't too difficult to bring down a moose, and all he really cared about was meat. This moose was the kind you shot to hang over a mantelpiece and brag to your friends about. But that was Gobber's gig, and Henry felt no desire to shoot the moose. In fact, he would have been content to watch the grandiose creature all day long, but he was getting wet while lying still in the snow, and getting wet meant freezing to death at the current temperature. So he had risen from his snowy hole and stood.

Toothless, realizing that Henry wouldn't shoot the moose, seemed to be offended that any animal could dare to be stalking around his general vicinity unchallenged. But a bull moose at that size was a match even for Toothless' entire wolf pack, and besides, there was much easier game to hunt. So Toothless, disgusted with his human friend, had howled, scaring the moose away. Henry had watched it disappear into the trees.

Henry thought he had seen the last of the moose, but it had shown up again only six days ago, right in Gobber's backyard. He was spending the night there, and was woken up by the sound of an animal setting off his stepdad's homemade house alarm, which was designed to alert him if any scavengers were trying to bust into the house. Henry had leaned out the window in his bedclothes to perhaps shoot the beast, but all he saw was a massive white moose running to safety even looking glorious in retreat. It had been so recent that Henry had a place to start.

Finishing his hasty packing, Henry sprinted to the door of his cabin to review his hunting checklist. It was imperative that nothing was forgotten on a trip that could possibly be a long, dangerous exploit. So he made sure he had everything he needed.

"Extra cartridges, check," Henry muttered, going down the list. "Pistol, check." He patted his shoulder holster, which held a trusty firearm. "Food, check," he continued, running his finger down the paper. "Water filter, check. Socks, check. No sleeping bag for this one. Knife, check. Water, check. Matches and lighter, check. Binoculars. Shit!"

Henry had lent his binoculars to Gobber a couple weeks ago and had never gotten them back. But it made no difference, anyway. He would have to go to Gobber's place anyway in order to start his hunt.

Finishing his checklist, he threw his well-laden buckboard on his shoulders and sprinted out the door. Once more he dashed through the forest, leaping streams, running trails and swamps, and three minutes later found himself outside Gobber's cabin. Running up to the front door, he burst in, without knocking. As usual.

"Gobber! Where the hell are you?" Henry shouted, looking around for his binoculars.

"Holy shit, kid, ya scared the fucking living shit outta me!" A voice shouted. "What the hell are ya doin in here?" Gobber walked in from the bedroom, dressed only in his underwear and holding a shotgun.

"Sorry, Gobber, but I need to get my binoculars back! Where are they?" Henry tried to ignore Gobber, who was dressed shabbily in his underpants.

"Uhh, over there on the table. Kid, where the hell are ya goin?"

Henry dashed over to the table. "I'm after a million dollar moose, Gobber! If I can shoot an albino, I get a fortune! A lunatic from the lower forty-eight wants an albino moose head. So I'm after it! So long, Gobber! I'm hoping to come back a rich man!"

"Wait, what the hell?!" Gobber shouted, but Henry was already gone.

Henry leapt down the front steps and sprinted around to the backyard, where he had last seen the albino. Sure enough, he could barely see a set of old moose hoof prints in the dried mud.

"You're mine, albino," he grinned. Pulling out his trusty whistle, he blasted it three times over the trees, signaling his furry friend that a hunt was on. An eager howl came in reply. Toothless had heard and was on his way.

Henry smiled with the thrill of the hunt, and dashed into the trees, keeping an eye on the tracks that were still barely visible. About ten minutes onto the trail Henry heard Toothless running through the bushes towards him.

"Over here, bud!" Henry shouted. "Come on! I've got a trail for you."

Toothless, eager with excitement, ran over to Henry and pounced on him, licking his face as always. This time, however, Henry was not in the mood.

"Cut it out, bud!" he said. "I've got a trail for you, and an important one."

Toothless, upon hearing the word 'trail' grew excited. Eagerly he looked around and smelled. However, there was no scent. The moose had been gone much too long ago.

"There, Toothless. Do you see that print? I need you to remember it, so if we see it again, you can track it. It's a moose, Toothless, a white moose."

Toothless growled in understanding. Lowering his nose to the ground, she sniffed all around the moose prints and studied them from every angle. He was ensuring that he would recognize the tracks again when he saw them. When he was satisfied, he looked up at Henry and snarled his hunting snarl.

"Right on, bud," Henry grinned. "All right, let me get some facts straight here. These tracks were made a week ago and we can't follow them forever, but I bet the moose went down into the Slikok Creek drainage, because that's where most of the early spring shoots grow. He'll be after those this time of year. So I'm going to crisscross the drainage for the tracks, but in the general direction of the mountains towards Brown's Lake. If I don't see the albino then, I'll camp on the mountainside overnight and use the binoculars on the landscape in the morning. From there we may see him or at least try to think of where he might have gone. But right now we will follow the tracks as long as we can. Does that sound good, bud?"

Toothless growled in agreement.

"All right." Henry tightened his pack on his shoulders. "Let's go get some million dollar antlers."

* * *

"Astrid Hofferson, right?"

"That's correct." Astrid took the bib that the girl gave her and began to pin it to her shirt.

"Looks like you've been doing a lot of running, Miss Hofferson," the black-haired girl answered with a smile. "You've got a pretty athletic form. Which High School do you go to?"

"Well, I literally just moved up here two days ago. I will be attending West High, I think." Astrid finished pinning the bib for the race and looked up. "I hear they have a good honors program there. And a good running team."

"Oh, really!?" the girl sounded excited. "I go to West myself. Yeah, we do have a fantastic running team. I'm on the Varsity squad over there, and we've gotten second place in state two years in a row. Are you good? We could use a new Varsity girl."

Astrid laughed. "Oh, yes, I like to say that I'm good. I was the fastest runner in Louisiana as a sophomore last season. I'm trying to keep up those credentials."

"Wow!" the girl exclaimed, looking very excited indeed. "You're a speedy one! What's your Personal Record for a 5K? If you got best in state it must be pretty impressive!"

"I ran a 16:54 for my fastest time last year," Astrid answered.

"Holy cow!" the girl laughed in amazement. "I'm in the presence of a superstar! I assume, with numbers like that, you're looking for scholarships this year?"

"You would be right," Astrid grinned. "Alaska isn't the best place to attract attention, but I'm confident there'll be at least a few scouts floating around. When state High School races happen, I'll just need to run a solid race and turn a few heads."

"Well, you've really got a chance for that if you attend West High," the girl replied. "We have a good running program, my team has gotten second place in the state two years in a row, as I said before. If you can hop in there and make a difference, then you'll get some SERIOUS looks from top colleges."

"It sounds like you know the town pretty well," Astrid laughed. "Are you into running?"

"Oh yeah." The girl smiled. "You can't keep me away from running, in fact. I've been at it my whole life. I was never too good at it, but I've made Varsity and have a solid PR. Everything I do revolves around it, basically. I watch what I eat and run all the time, and I even work for Skinny Raven part time. That's why I'm here. They're sponsoring this community race, and they commissioned me to help out. It's a win-win for me. I get to watch running and get paid at the same time."

"That's cool!" Astrid said, becoming more interested. "Do you sell good running shoes? I'll be looking for a new pair of spikes this fall, and being new to this city, I'm wondering where I can get the best."

"Absolutely!" the girl laughed. "Skinny Raven is the biggest running store around here. I like to say we have the best supply in the State of Alaska. Come on to our store in downtown and we'll fix you right up with the best you can get."

"Sounds good," Astrid smiled. "Look, I'd love to stay and talk to you, but I need to warm up. It's been nice meeting you, umm-"

"I'm Heather. Heather Peterson. And you're Astrid Hofferson; I saw that on the sign-up sheet."

"That's me," Astrid grinned, reaching across the table and shaking Heather's hand chummily. "Get used to seeing my name on papers, too. I'll be stuffing up the news articles this year, I'm hoping."

"I'd believe it." Heather laughed, pointing at Astrid as she started to move away. "I'm also expecting to see you at the front of the pack in this run, Astrid!"

Astrid grinned. "Oh, you will."

* * *

A half an hour later Astrid was pumping her arms and rolling up the final hill of the 5K race. Community races were always supposed to be relaxed and fun, but never for Astrid Hofferson. She treated every race like it was a championship. Everything she did, her pace, her form, her breathing, and her aggressive mentality was acting like this race was the last one she would ever run in her life. Astrid believed that while she was naturally gifted at running, the thing that set her apart from everyone else was the effort she put in. It seemed to be the case in this race, for she was winning.

By the Gods, she was winning.

She was kicking _ass_.

There was NO ONE even CLOSE to her on the course. The next fastest runner was a full five minutes behind.

"Community races are a joke." Astrid told herself as she pounded her feet on the solid dirt of the trails. She had passed the 4K mark several minutes ago, and she knew that she was now on the last bit of the community race. For Astrid, community races were merely a warm up, a regular day of running with very little competition thrown in. However, this one meant a little more to her, because it was her very first race in Alaska. She wanted to make it memorable.

Finishing the final hill, she rolled up over it and buckled down for the final stretch of the competition. There was no need to sprint, but she pushed herself to her maximum limit anyway. Her number one rule for racing was that you ALWAYS gave it your all. That meant finishing at a jog was not an option. The people on the side of the trail waiting for Astrid to complete the race were wowing and cheering in surprise. They had not been expecting anyone to finish so soon. Astrid spared a glance at her stopwatch that adorned her wrist: the time was 16:56.

The announcer was exclaiming over the microphone, "Look at this! We have our first finisher, ladies and gentlemen! It looks like Astrid Hofferson! What a finish! She will complete the race with a remarkable time! My Goodness!"

Astrid blotted out the man speaking over the megaphone. The loud voice was both annoying and distracting, and that took her attention away from her sole goal; completing the race as efficiently as she could. She heard the crowd's cheering increase as they realized just how fast she had run the course.

With a final spurt of desperate energy she broke the stupid piece of ribbon that marked the completion of the race, sending the people cheering once more. Astrid had just dominated the race, finishing with an incredible time and a clear, clear victory. Breaking her ferocious pace, she fell into a slight jog and then pitched on her hands and knees in exhaustion.

"Wow," she breathed, and checked her watch. The time read 17:12. That was less than twenty seconds off her PR, and she didn't even have any competition. The result was impressive. She had not been expecting to run that fast in her first Alaskan race.

Getting to her feet, she eagerly accepted a girl's offer of water. Grabbing the paper cup, she downed half of it in one gulp and then dumped the rest over her steaming head. Grinning, she looked up and saw Heather, who was smiling and looking shocked.

"No way!" Heather laughed, wrapping an arm around Astrid's shoulder to support her. "You just killed it! You'd better run for West High this year, or else I'll make you!"

Panting, Astrid smiled. Alaska was colder than her home state, and the running was a little different here than the hot and humid trails of Louisiana. She felt a little chilled as her sweat began to cool her off.

But she could get used to it.

Looking to her left, she saw news reports trotting over with cameras and notepads.

She could definitely get used to it.

* * *

Henry and Toothless were ten miles away from any sign of civilization. Deep in the rugged forests of Alaska, the two were bound for the mountains, and specifically the Slikok Creek drainage.

Toothless had lost the moose's trail eight hours ago, as expected. The moose had left the muddy ground that was near Gobber's cabin, and had disappeared into the marshlands that led towards the base of the mountains. There it had been impossible for Toothless to pick up any hoof prints or scent, and they had continued in the general direction of the Slikok Creek drainage, which was where Henry assumed the moose had gone. Currently, the boy and his wolf were trekking up the mountainside, after spending three fruitless hours searching the lush bushes of the drainage. They were right alongside the Kenai River, walking along a cliff that fell down to the rapids below. Henry made sure to stay far away from the edge; it would not be a pleasant fall.

"Looks like we're going to have to call it for the day, bud," Henry said ruefully, as he plodded steadily uphill. The sun was sinking in the Western sky, and a musky smell hung about the pines. It was like a soft whisper, a desire for the coming of summer. The rushing sound of the river, which was high because of the melting snow, added to the calmness and serenity of the environment.

"We haven't found the albino yet," Henry went on glumly, "but he's got to be up here somewhere, you know. A moose as old, big, and smart as that albino is would be sure to know that this area has the best food this time of year. So we'll camp on the mountainside near the river, and tomorrow we can find a spot where I can use the binoculars to guess where he could be. Hell, if I get lucky I could even see him. You know what, I should name this guy. I've been calling him 'the albino' all day, and that's too long and also lame. A prize that will hopefully earn me a million dollars should have a better title than 'albino.' Any suggestions, bud?"

Toothless merely grunted.

"I don't think 'Grrrnnuutunt' is any better," Henry told Toothless, rubbing his wolf's back affectionately. "But I guess it was a good thought. Anyway, I prefer the name Potential Million Dollars, since that's essentially what he is. Potential Million Dollars. PMD. That's settled. We are now searching for the PMD. You got that, bud?"

Toothless growled.

"Yep. I am no longer calling the moose albino. He is now officially named PMD."

Toothless snorted, almost with disgust.

"Come on, bud!" Henry pleaded. "That's an amazing name! PMD! I mean, look at the way the name makes so much sense! See, if you took out the M and replaced it with an F, you'd get PFD, you know, which stands for Permanent Fund Dividend. That's free money from the State of Alaska! And this moose is going to get me money also, although the buyer lives in New Mexico. Anyway, my point is, my name makes total sense and is awesome! And it's certainly better than Grrrnnuutunt, anyway. You know what, I – holy shit, what the hell is that?"

Henry walked up to a large pine tree that leaned over the edge of the cliff towards the river. On the trunk there were massive slashes. A bear had carved a marker for his territory in the wood.

This was ordinary in Alaska, but what astonished Henry was how high they were. They had been cut over ten feet off the ground. Whatever bear had done it must have been enormous. Henry whistled in amazement as he reached up to the claw marks. They were too high to touch.

Toothless was about to give a wolf's opinion of the marker, but all of a sudden he perked up his ears and stopped, sniffing the air carefully. He had caught a scent.

"What is it, bud?" Henry asked excitedly, forgetting the marker and kneeling down by Toothless. Instinctively he pulled his hunting rifle off his back. Toothless looked intrigued, and he raised his nose into the air.

"What do you smell?" Henry whispered in Toothless' ear."Is it the PMD? What is it?"

Toothless didn't reply. He was standing utterly still, moving nothing except his nostrils, which were continuously sniffing the air. He couldn't tell what exactly he smelled.

Hiccup snapped off the safety of his rifle, and hastily checked to see if it was loaded. Confirming that it was, he then carefully he noted which way the wind was blowing by licking his finger and raising it in the air. One side dried first – the backside. The wind was blowing up the mountain, towards the spot that Toothless was pointing his nose. That meant that the scent Toothless had picked up was not being carried to them by the breeze. No. It meant that the animal was close.

Henry tensed himself for action. If it was the PMD, then he was more than ready for it; and a million dollars. But Toothless was sure to notice that the scent was that of a moose. Usually he instantly picked up on that sort of thing. So it wasn't a moose.

What was it?

Raising his head, Toothless roared a terrible roar that echoed around off the mountainside. Baring his teeth in a savage growl, he whirled around to look at the trees on his left, snarling like a demon at something that was inside.

Placing his hands on his friend's back, Henry realized that Toothless was quivering, and that his hair was standing up in terror. Henry gripped his rifle tightly. Toothless never trembled. He never showed any fear. He wasn't afraid of anything that walked the forest, except for one beast -

"SHIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!" Henry screamed, and swung his rifle towards the trees. The thing Toothless smelled leapt out of the bushes and landed directly in front of them with an air-shaking bellow. It was huge and savage, with reddish-brown fur and a ferocious set of razor-sharp teeth. Looking directly at them, its jaws red with blood, the beast growled savagely.

It was the Red Death.

"YEEEEEEEAAAAARRRHHHHH!" Henry roared, and raised his rifle. With a terrible shout, he fired at point blank range. His rifle bellowed, smoke billowing from the barrel as Henry's bullet tore marks down the bear's neck and shoulder. Pumping the lever, Henry fired again, this time hitting the bear in the lower chest, raking holes down the creature's massive ribcage.

But the shots did nothing to an animal that was about the size of a small car.

Roaring in rage, the Red Death jumped at Henry with his claws outstretched, and in a second Henry was going to be killed. But a snarling black shape leapt in between them and met the bear in midair, wrestling the red-furred demon with all its might, fighting tooth and claw. Faithful Toothless had jumped to the attack and saved his friend. Although he was relieved at his rescue, Henry was now horrified. Toothless was the best fighting wolf in all of Alaska, but he stood no chance against an angry grizzly bear, especially when it was over five times his size, and enraged that a man had entered his territory unchallenged.

Dropping to one knee, Henry emptied his gun into the bear's body, the shots roaring over the mountainside. As he fired relentlessly, he was extra careful not to hit Toothless as the black wolf danced in and out of range of the bear's swinging paws. Henry was astounded as the bear hardly reacted at all to having six shots pumped into his thick hide. Henry's rifle ran out of bullets trying to bring it down. The Red Death was simply a brute, and would not die.

Reaching for the extra cartridges on his belt, Henry looked up. Toothless was still expertly sparring the bear, darting in and out to slash and bite at the bear's head, but on one fake rush the brave wolf got too close. With a roar, the bear caught Toothless in his giant paws and pinned him to the ground, digging sharp claws into the wolf's side. Raising his other huge foot, the bear prepared to crush the life out of Henry's companion.

With a strangled cry, Henry leapt forward, his heart in his throat. Yelling wildly, he attacked the Red Death, grabbing his rifle by the barrel and swinging it at the bear like a club. He hit the demon with a vicious crack on the side of its thick, ugly, brown head.

With a roar of anger, the bear released Toothless and swung at Henry once more. Leaping backwards on the precarious rocks, Henry blocked the first slash of the bear's huge claws with his gun. However, the sheer power behind the swing knocked Henry backwards, breaking the rifle in two. Falling, Henry landed heavily on his side, losing the pieces of his rifle. They clattered away on the hard ground, and Henry was now utterly defenseless.

Roaring in triumph, the bear swung his paw down on Henry, trying to kill him. Rolling away with a terrified yell, Henry barely avoided the massive paw as it struck the rocks next to him, the huge claws cracking the stone and showering Henry with splinters of rock. Leaping to his feet and turning to run, Henry found himself standing right above the cliff that fell down to the roaring rapids of the Kenai River. He whirled his arms to regain his balance, and then spun around in fear. He saw the big bear walking towards him, saliva dripping from his menacing jaws as the beast realized that he had cornered his prey. Henry had a brutal bear in front and a deadly fall behind.

He was trapped.

Reaching under his arm, Henry tried to get at his revolver that was nestled in its shoulder holster, which he kept on him for moments like these. However, it was stuck in the straps, and Henry tugged frantically at it as the Red Death approached. The bear, with what looked like a triumphant leer on his face, kept coming at him with his teeth bared. He could see the bear's crazed eyes and terrible snarl. The Red Death got so close Henry could smell its horrid stench. With a growl of victory, the bear raised his paw to strike. Henry thought he would die at that moment.

Then, from behind the beast, Toothless roared a desperate howl, leaping forward and landing on the bear's back, sinking his sharp teeth into the Red Death's neck in a frantic attempt to save his human. However, it was too late. The bear hacked one more time at Henry. Henry dodged in utter desperation, and a sharp claw nicked his chin as he ducked, causing him to lose his balance. With a terrified yell that echoed off the mountains, Henry fell off the cliff, bouncing on the rocks and tumbling to the rapids below. The last thing he saw was the Red Death flinging Toothless off his back and turning to kill the wolf.

Then Henry struck the water, and all went black.

 **OK! Chapter five is done and gone! I had lots of fun writing the action scene with the bear. Let me know how I did!**

 **And – to be seen in the next chapter – poor Toothless – is he going to die? How will Henry recover from this fall into the rapids?! Can he live? Review about it! Let me know what you think of anything at all! I LOVE hearing from the readers, even if it's a flame. Those are always fun to read, even though I haven't actually gotten any yet. :)**

 **BTW, I said something in a previous chapter that was something like 'this story will only be like ten chapters long.' Well, I lied. It will probably be about thirty. I don't know. I'm horrible at guessing length. :(**

 **Next chapter coming as soon as I can write it!**

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 **Reviewers:**

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 **The Silent Fury: Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy this story as I keep posting.**

 **anon: Yeah, there are some poor quality FanFictions out there, but there's a LOT of good ones, too, even in the AU parts of HTTYD. Have you read Chasing Thunderstorms? Wow. Check out Even Miracles, too, and tell that author to update. LOL.**

 **huntergo123: Thanks so much! Love hearing reviews like yours! :)**

 **wilco pop: Glad you're back on! Even gladder I helped to bring you back. Hope you like this story, and keeps you here on FanFiction.**

 **Guest: Hopefully it'll get even more interesting after this chapter. Read on!**

 **Sonochu: Thanks for the constructive criticism. Yeah, I could maybe have foreshadowed the albino moose, but I was actually leaving my options open on how exactly Henry would become a millionaire. And Astrid – yeah, I was just trying to show that Astrid still remembered Henry, and was disappointed that she hadn't met him for real. Anyway, thanks a bunch! Keep the thoughts coming!**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt: Hope you stay hooked! Thanks so much for the support. Awesome name, BTW. ;)**

 **Dark Ghost coc: Glad you liked the chapter! I fully intend to keep it up. LOL.**

 **raggedyman01: Yeah, I tried to make my story really unique, and non-cliché. Albino moose are pretty awesome, BTW. Go check out some pictures.**

 **TidePoolAngel: I'm glad you've never seen anything like it before! That was my intent. There's too many similar plots on this website, and I thought, 'hey, why not make one that's set in Alaska where Hiccup is a loner and a hunter? That will sure be different!' LOL.**

 **tjjenkins: Your wait is over! Here is more! You are more than welcome! I am having LOTS of fun writing this one.**

 **Agent Khizar: :) Thanks! I'm glad that you find it interesting. Henry will be receiving the most focus in this and the next chapter, but Astrid will see a lot more page time in the next few. In this chapter you can see Henry at work, but he doesn't do too much actual hunting, more like self-defense. But anyway, read on!**

 **Themissinglink: Yeah, I think,** ** _think_** **that this is the only one of its kind here on FanFiction. Like, Henry in Alaska as a self-providing hunter and trapper? Astrid as a runner is a little cliché, but since I'm a runner, I felt like that would be the best way to write a story that was sport-related.**

 **All right, that's done! Now on with the story. Hope you all enjoy, as always!**

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 **NatB.**


	6. Bullets and Claws

**Here is chapter six of RWF! I had SO much fun with this one. LOTS of action and other cool stuff. To all you Astrid lovers, sorry, she doesn't show up in this chapter. I had too much to cover with Hiccup's – um, err,** ** _Henry's_** **side of things. Sorry. But she'll be back next chapter, I promise! Anyway, so much awesome things happen in this chapter that I don't even know how to summarize for you. So just read on and review!**

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 **Thank you reviewers! I LOVE hearing from you, and you gave me a lot of reviews last chapter for me to look at. So I'll get to work replying! Thanks so much for all the support and taking time to tell me what you thought of the story. Keep em coming! :) I've replied at the end of the chapter.**

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Henry's vision faded in and out in a dazed blur. Above him the sun was casting its last rays over the mountainside, reflecting off the water of the Kenai River. Slowly, Henry fought to wake up. His mind faded in and out once more.

In and out.

Slowly the boy came to, his head jerking up as he tried to regain consciousness. Amazingly, he was uninjured, except for a gash across his lower chin that had been given him by the Red Death.

A strange sound then reached Henry's half-awake ears. All around him was a roar, as if he was in the middle of a storm. Then he realized that he was both cold and wet. Desperately he tried to wake up as his mind failed to recognize what had happened to him.

Slowly everything came back. Henry recalled hunting for the albino, naming it the PMD, getting jumped by the Red Death, losing his rifle, Toothless saving him, and how he had fallen -

Henry snapped upright, and then yelled in terror as he saw where he was. He was lying on his back in the middle of the Kenai River rapids, the roaring water thundering all around him. He was expecting to be carried with the current, but instead he was at a standstill in the cold water. Looking behind him to find out why, Henry saw that his buckboard was caught on a tree. He was stuck in the very middle of the rushing river. Henry looked back in front of him, and his heart nearly stopped beating. Directly ahead of him was a roaring waterfall, which, if he was released from the tree, would certainly take him to his death.

"HOLY FUUUUUCK!" Henry shouted, panicking. His legs, which were dangling in front of him in the water, were literally only a few feet away from the edge of the falls. Kicking desperately, Henry tried to move, but he was pinned in place by the straps on his pack.

Henry forced himself to be calm as panic started to take hold. His head was above the water, so he could breathe, but his legs and back were submerged in the freezingriver, and he was unable to move them. It was a very serious problem. Early spring meant that the snow was melting into the rivers from the mountains, and this caused the Kenai River to be much stronger and higher than normal. It was also ice cold because of the snow. If Henry stayed in his position much longer, he would certainly die. Even if he did not fall off the waterfall, he would catch his death of hypothermia due to the temperature. He had to get out of the water, and fast.

As he was coming to grips with that fearsome reality, the tree on which was Henry was snagged suddenly slipped and began to slide forwards towards the waterfall. Screaming in terror, Henry was carried a few more feet towards the edge before the tree caught once more on a protruding rock, abruptly halting his progress. Henry gasped in relief, and discovered with horror that he was now only a few inches away from a deadly cascade of foaming water. He had to rescue himself immediately before the tree got loose again. Regaining control of his fear, he burst into action.

Twisting around, he reached underwater for his submerged belt. There he felt his hunting knife in its leather sheath, and, with a splash, he pulled it from out of the water. The knife was a large one with a seven inch blade, meant for carving moose meat and skinning animals. But that wasn't what Henry had in mind.

Sliding the knife up to his shoulders, he slashed the straps that held the buckboard to his back, releasing him from his prison on the tree. Holding onto the tree and jumping forward, Henry grabbed a large slippery rock that was above the water level, the same one that his tree had caught on. Scarcely had he done so when the big pine tree slipped loose, and was carried instantly to the perilous falls. It fell over the large drop with a roar of foam and water, his backpack and all his supplies going with it.

Henry didn't exactly care that he had lost his gear. He was still concerned with his own life. Putting his hunting knife between his teeth, he clambered to the top of his safe rock, being extremely careful not to slip off. Any mistake now meant death.

Temporarily out of harm's way, Henry collapsed on the rock and gasped for air, his knife falling out of his mouth and clattering away on the rocks. He felt the sharp, slight pain of the cut across his chin, but that slight injury was the last thing on Henry's mind. The first thing was his survival. Henry was utterly exhausted, and he was also shivering with cold. He needed to find his way to shore and build a fire before hypothermia kicked in and he lost his life.

Turning on his side, Henry sheathed his big hunting knife at his belt and surveyed the surrounding landscape with an expert eye. Even with his panicked and desperate mind he tried to determine the best way out of his ill-fated predicament. He took in all his options with a single glance, calculating each one carefully in his brain.

The first conclusion Henry came to was that it was impossible to get back on land from the way he had fallen in. There was a sheer cliff on that side of the river, and there was no way on earth he would be able to climb up it without proper equipment. Besides, that was where the Red Death's territory was. Henry certainly did not want to encounter the massive beast again, especially in his current weakened and unarmed condition. That meant that Henry's only option for shore and safety was the opposite riverbank. Looking over, he saw a smooth sandbar and then pleasant woods beyond. It would be easy, if he made it to the shore, to build a fire and warm himself, and therefore save his life.

If he made it to shore.

The thought of how he could do it was unnerving. Henry was in the dead center of the river, and the roaring water gushed all around him, moving at a speed that would carry him to his death at once if he fell in. Making it to land unharmed seemed impossible. At a first glance, there was no route he saw that could get him to shore in one piece. But he had to do it! He had to!

Henry's first thought was to shout for help. However, who would ever hear him? He had been carried downstream for a decent time, but this was the only waterfall on the Kenai River, and therefore he knew exactly where he was. And, in his current spot, he was at least nine miles from a cabin or human of any kind. No one would ever find him out here, and if they did, it would certainly not be in time to stop him from freezing to death.

Discarding that idea, he then thought of his whistle. Maybe if he could signal Toothless, he could get his wolf to call for help. But he decided it was pointless for two reasons. One, Toothless was surely dead. He stood no chance against the Red Death. And two, he could never rescue Henry by himself, and he could never travel nine miles to get help before Henry died. Despite these disappointing facts, however, Henry decided to try. He felt around his neck for the whistle, and then discovered that it was gone. It must have slipped off his neck when he fell from the cliff.

"God _dammit_!" Henry swore, his teeth chattering with cold. "I'm alone. I am screwed. How can I get off of this old rock by myself?"

Still trembling with cold and fear, Henry slowly got to his feet, standing up on the wet rock. Water dripped from his camouflage clothing, hitting the stone at his feet with small splashes. Steeling himself, Henry glanced around, trying to find a way to the shore. Then he saw something, and he shook his head. No way. But it was possible. He could make it to the shore if – if -

He could rock hop.

"Holy fucking shit," Henry muttered, staring at the only option he had. There was a path from his rock to shore, in the form of jagged, slippery rocks that were protruding from the river. If he could hop from one rock to the next, he might be able to make it to the riverbank in time to build a fire and get warm. The more Henry stared at what he had to do, the more he grew afraid of the task.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this," Henry muttered in awe. "I wonder what old Gobber would say if he saw me right now. I'm about to jump from rock to rock, with fast-moving water beneath me. I will be jumping on wet stones that are incredibly slippery and in boots and wet, heavy clothes."

He counted the rocks slowly, and then continued to talk to himself.

"I will have to make seven jumps, all of them longer than six feet in length. If I loose my footing or make one little slip, I die. There's NO way I'll survive that fall."

He was getting colder by the minute, and the fear of freezing to death was the only thing that kept him going. It was also getting very dark. The sun was beginning to dip behind the trees. Light was a big factor in his plan. If he couldn't see where he was jumping, he was doomed. He had to jump now. Hastily figuring out his exact route, Henry took a deep, calculated breath, and made his first jump, water gushing beneath him as he leaped.

He landed safely.

"Whew," Henry breathed, as he balanced himself on his hands and knees. "That wasn't so bad at all. I can do this. Only six more jumps. All right, here we go."

It took Henry a few minutes before he gained the courage to make his next leap. However, he nailed it once again, and, spurred on by success, he grew confident. He made the next five jumps flawlessly, never losing his balance once. On the last leap, Henry struck the sand of the riverbank and collapsed, utterly exhausted and shivering. He tried to find the strength to crawl up the sand and build a fire.

"Can't sleep," Henry muttered to himself. He was shivering awfully with cold. "Got – to – stay – awake – or – I – die."

Henry told himself that, but he could not get up. He was too tired. Sleep was coming. It was like fate itself. It reached for him, trying to pull him into it – a few more seconds and he would be totally gone -

A terrifying roar echoed over the river, and Henry snapped up with a frightened shout. He remembered that roar. He remembered it all too well. It was the Red Death.

Scared into action, he leapt to his feet. Glancing across the river and high up on the cliff, he saw the massive bear.

It was staring at him from the edge of the cliff on the other side of the river, his lips curled upward in a vicious snarl. Henry was perfectly safe; he knew the bear could never jump from the cliff to come and get him, but he was afraid just the same. The beast kept staring at him, snarling in rage.

Henry glared back, his fear turning into fury. The Red Death had killed Toothless. He had killed his best friend.

"Get away, Red Death!" Henry shouted, shaking his fist at the monster. "You won't get me! By hell, you won't get ME! I will win! I will get out of here, and then I'll come back for YOU! I know where you live now! I'll hunt you down and shot you full of holes! DAMN you, you monster, you killed Toothless! Fuck you, Red Death! FUCK YOUUUUUUUU!"

He was screaming in rage, uncontrollably angry. The Red Death seemed to laugh at Henry's shouting, his massive jaws hanging in a bloody grin. With a final roar of decision, he bounded off down the riverside. The bear was looking for a place to cross. He wanted Henry dead, and was going after the boy.

"Oh, not good," Henry muttered, as he watched the bear vanish. "He's coming after me. He'll find a ford somewhere upstream, and when he does I'll have to be long gone, or he'll kill me, too."

Henry then noticed once more just how cold he was. He was trembling so badly that he could barely stand, and the sun was going down. Soon it would be dark, and he needed to build a fire.

"Brrrr!" Henry growled, slapping himself with his arms. "I'm going to get hypothermia out here. Where is my lighter? I need to make a fire."

Henry instinctively reached behind him for his pack. It was gone. He remembered; it had been carried down the waterfall. All his stuff, his ammo, his supplies, his food, and his lighter were gone forever.

Henry could not even curse. He was beyond that stage. He merely took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.

"No lighter," he whispered, his heart thumping in fear. "No extra clothes. No food. No water. I am DEAD."

Then he abruptly slid his hand into his camouflage jacket and felt his inside pocket. He whooped with joy. He had his waterproof matchbox.

With a happy grin, he raced into the bushes and came back with twigs and kindling. Kneeling down, his teeth chattering, he began to build a fire with his trembling hands. Lighting one of his twenty matches, he lit the base. It crackled, wavered, and then burst into flames.

With a grin of triumph, Henry added more fuel. He kept putting on wood until he had a raging fire that was three feet in width. Then he took off everything, his boots, his socks, his pants, his underwear, and his jacket, until he was stark naked. Laying his stuff out to dry, Henry finally began to warm up. He would live.

"Ahh, YES," Henry breathed happily, basking in the warmth of the fire. "All right, step one is taken care of. Step two is food and water, which I have none of. Water isn't that big of a deal. There are still plenty of ponds and streams that I can drink from. But food and self-defense are my main priorities. So what do I have?"

Rummaging through his wet clothes, he began a quick and thorough analysis of what he still had with him.

"All right, I've got my pistol, at least," Henry said to himself, pulling out his shoulder holster and gun. "And I've got nineteen matches. I also have a bit of string, a piece of a chocolate bar, and – and that's _it_."

Henry shook his head in despair, and picked up the gun again.

"I've got my pistol," he groaned, "but I've also only got six shots of ammo to go with it. Six _fucking_ bullets. That's all I have to defend myself with when the Red Death attacks again, which he will when he crosses the river. However, I've also got my faithful hunting knife."

He picked up the seven inch blade, still encased in its leather sheathe. "This will suffice in a pinch," Henry muttered to himself. "But it's too short to battle a bear with it. So I'll make a spear instead. You know what; I'll make a whole bunch of spears. I need to be able to at least defend myself. I'll also use my little bit of string here to make a rabbit snare for food tomorrow. Then I need to sleep. I am tired and need to get my energy back."

He went into the woods to get his necessary supplies. It was pitch black by the time Henry had made four spears, all whittled to razor sharp points. His knife he had not made into a spear, but he instead decided to keep it at his side. He had set a rabbit snare and eaten his last bit of chocolate. Then, still naked, he had added more fuel to his fire and fallen asleep, the moon high above him and his loaded pistol clutched tightly in his hand.

* * *

Something was nudging Henry's face.

With a groan, Henry sat up, coarse sand all over his bare body. Blinking, he glanced up to the sky. The morning sun was peeping over the trees and beginning to sparkle off the river that lay in front of him. Henry then wondered what had awakened him. Turning, Henry looked right into the face of a wolf.

A black wolf.

"TOOTHLESSSSS!" he shouted happily, and grabbed his friend, pulling the wolf into a tight hug. His friend's black fur was bedraggled and dirty. Toothless must have swum across the river.

"Oh, man, I missed you, bud!" Henry said, stroking the wolf's fur."I thought you were dead! How did you get here?"

Toothless whined in reply. However, the sound wasn't happy, and Henry released his wolf in concern.

"Toothless?" he asked. "What is it – oh."

"SHIT."

Henry bit his lip as he stared at Toothless, realizing why his pal was so unhappy. All along the wolf's back ran four deep gashes; each one oozing speckled foam and blood all over the black fur. The dirt and grime did not help the grisly appearance. The Red Death must have gotten him with his giant paws.

"Wow," Henry muttered, as he knelt by his friend's side. "That doesn't seem good. All right, bud, let me look at these cuts. Boy, they look nasty."

Running his fingers through Toothless' dark, wet fur, he ignored the blood and probed the deep scratches on his back, trying to see if he had any vital injuries. Toothless growled in pain and Henry touched the damaged skin.

"All right," Henry muttered again looking at the wounds with a critical eye. "OK, bud, they're not that bad. You'll live. But I need to plug them up with something to stop the bleeding. I can't sterilize it, because I've lost all my gear, including my medical kit. So I'll do it the old fashioned way. Mud."

Toothless looked back at Henry.

"Yeah, bud, I need to patch you up. Go wash off in the river, and I don't care if it stings, get it clean. The salt water is good for any bacteria that got in the wound and could possibly infect it. I'll go get some dirt to make mud."

Henry stood up, and then looked down at his naked form.

"Aaaaaand I'll get some pants on, first."

Toothless raised his upper lip in a wolfish grin.

Henry shook his head. "Even when you're hurt, you still laugh at me," he grumbled. "Go wash off, bud, NOW. We need to get out of here as soon as we can. The Red Death is coming for us."

At the words 'Red Death,' Toothless bristled in anger. But he obediently trotted down to the river bank and began to wash off. Henry dressed in his dry gear and then made a mud paste. Toothless finished cleaning himself and walked back to Henry.

"All right, bud, here we go," Henry said. "Let me see your back."

Toothless turned around and showed Henry the scratches. Without another word Henry picked up a slob of mud and stuffed it in the wounds. Toothless growled in discomfort.

"Yeah, bud, I know it hurts," Henry agreed, packing on more mud. "But this stuff keeps you from bleeding out until we can get back home and do a real fix-up. Stop whining."

Toothless obediently made no other sound until Henry had stuffed each cut with mud and none of them bled.

"All right, now for a bandage," Henry said, scratching his head. "Well, I don't have my pack, but I do have my pants."

Reaching down, he tore off one of his pants legs from the knee down, sad to ruin his reliable camouflage khakis that had served him for several years. However, Toothless' safety meant a lot more to him than a piece of clothing. Folding up the fabric, he laid it across the muddy cuts on Toothless' back. Then he used his own belt to tighten the makeshift bandage on Toothless.

"All right, bud, you are temporarily fixed," Henry said. "And now for breakfast. I was only able to set one snare last night, so one rabbit is the best we'll get. You go find my snare and eat whatever's in it. You need it more than me. I'm going to douse this fire and get ready to move out. We have to be long gone by the time our dear friend bear crosses the Kenai. We are going to make a straight line for Funny River road, and from there we can get a ride into town. We'll come back for this beast later, when I'm prepared. Sound good to you, bud?"

Toothless was about to growl an answer, but then, from far upstream, the pair heard a distant roar. It was the same one that Henry had heard last night, and this time it came from their side of the river.

The Red Death had crossed.

"Toothless, we've got to move!" Henry shouted, leaping to his gear and hurriedly throwing sand on the fire. "The Red Death is after us! Go see if I've caught a rabbit, but you'll have to eat it on the run! We're no longer the hunters, bud. WE ARE BEING HUNTED. Get moving!"

Toothless roared and ran towards the snare to look for food. Meanwhile, Henry extinguished the fire. Grabbing his four crude spears, he buckled them to the strap of his pistol's shoulder holster. Taking up his knife, he slid into it's sheathe and strapped it to his shoulder holster as well. His belt was being used for Toothless' bandage.

Swinging his holster onto his shoulders, he pulled off one of his spears and used it as a staff. With a leap, he jumped away from the riverbank and sprinted into the trees. In a moment Toothless joined him, a dead rabbit between his teeth. Henry's snare had been effective after all.

"We make for Funny River!" Henry shouted. "If we can get across that somehow, we can delay the Red Death for a little bit. But then we'll have another two miles before we get to the highway! That bear will probably run us down before then! We'll have to fight for our lives!"

Toothless growled in agreement, trying to eat the rabbit while on the run. From behind them another roar came.

"He's picked up your scent!" Henry shouted. "He'll follow your trail to my camp, and then he's going to be flying up our tail! By the time we get to the highway he will have caught up. We need to MOVE!"

The two were sprinting through the forest at a blistering pace. Henry was fit and strong as a bull, and he could run hard all day if he had to. Ordinarily Toothless could easily outpace his human, but at the moment he was hurt, and could only run at Henry's pace. Together the two raced through the forest, being spurred on by the occasional bellow of the Red Death, who was hot on their trail.

Twenty minutes later they heard another triumphant roar from behind them. The Red Death had found their camp. Henry was to breathless to even curse – he just ran faster. Toothless had finished the rabbit and discarded the carcass along their trail, and was now hustling along with his friend. Henry gripped the spear he held tightly as he gasped mightily for air.

After running for another full hour, they heard another terrifying roar behind them, this time so close that Henry felt he could turn around and see the beast. Almost as soon as he thought he would have to climb a tree and haul Toothless up with him, he heard a very comforting sound – the running water of Funny River.

"Toothless, we're there!" Henry shouted. "We need a place to cross!"

Toothless barked a reply, and in a few seconds the two companions burst clear of the trees and found themselves on the steep bank of the Funny River. It was a much smaller size than the Kenai, but it was still very hard to ford, as it was a fast moving river that was deep in a small chasm. If they could cross ahead of the Red Death, and left him without a way to get over, they might have a chance to make it to the highway before the demonic beast caught them.

"There!" Henry shouted, pointing at a large pine tree that had fallen across the river. It made a perfect bridge. "We can cross on that thing! Hurry!"

Running up to the fallen tree, Henry nimbly hopped through the branches and onto the trunk, his boots gripping the rough bark. Toothless followed him. Henry was in too much of a hurry to buckle his first spear with the others on his back, and he needed his hands for balance, so he tossed the sharp stick into the river.

Now he only had three spears to go with his pistol and knife.

"Let's go, bud!" Henry cried, as he tried to tightrope walk across the tree. "We can do it! Come on!"

Together Toothless and Henry hurried across the tree over the fast-moving water and made it to the other side. They leaped off the tree, and hit solid earth.

As soon as they did so, there was a loud bellow from the other side of the river, and the Red Death, charging as fast as it could, showed its ugly head from among the trees. It saw its prey, but roared in anger as he realized they had crossed ahead of him. Bounding up to the tree, he tried to scale it himself. The pine creaked and threatened to break under his enormous weight.

Toothless howled in savage desperation, and positioned himself on the other side of the tree, ready to take on the beast if he made it across. The Red Death quickly made it halfway across the river, but the pine tree looked as if it might break any minute.

Henry, praying that the tree would break, ran to a better angle. Dropping to one knee, he pulled out his revolver, snapping off the safety catch. He had a very clear shot at the beast. If he was in possession of his rifle, Henry was confident that he could have killed the demon right where it stood. But he didn't have a rifle. He only had his pistol, and very little ammo to go with it.

He had six shots to try and kill the biggest bear in the world.

Aiming carefully, Henry fired five times.

The Red Death roared in pain as every one of Henry's bullets struck him in the head. But he did not die. Raising his thick neck, he instead tried to shake the bullets away. As he did so, his mass shifted, and the pine tree broke at the center with a loud crack. The Red Death plunged into the river below, letting out one final shriek of anger before he hit the foaming water with a splash. Henry saw his head reappear a good ways downstream, and the bear tried to swim to safety. Henry knew it would take him a while.

"Come on, bud!" Henry shouted, re-holstering his pistol. The gun had only one shot left in it. Then he would have to resort to his spears to save his life.

"Move, bud!" he screamed to his wolf. "We have to make it to the Funny River road, and fast! Come on!"

Once more the fleeing hunters dashed through the trees with all the speed they could muster. As they thundered down a hill, Toothless, who was behind Henry, suddenly growled a warning snarl. He smelled big game.

Henry, still running, turned his head around to look at his friend, a frown on his freckled face. "What is it, bud?" he asked. "The Red Death is a good ways behind us now, so we're safe. What do you smell?"

Henry looked forward again, and then froze, skidding to a halt.

Standing in front of him, in all its glorious majesty, was the albino bull moose.

It was just standing there, staring at Henry and Toothless. For a few seconds no one moved, and each stared at the other in shock.

Then with a cry, Henry pulled his pistol from the holster. Bellowing, the moose tried to run, but Henry fired his last bullet at a range of seven feet. It struck the PMD in the head, and the animal staggered. Toothless wasted no time. With a roar of attack, he sprung to the PMD's back legs, and with one savage slash of his sharp teeth, hamstrung the moose.

The PMD fell to its knees, blood pouring from its hind legs. Henry, with a battle cry, grabbed one of his spears off his back and leaped forward, slamming the sharp point into the PMD's neck.

The moose jerked as the blow fell, and began to struggle mightily on the ground, waving his enormous antlers. Skillfully dodging the sharp horns, Henry drew his knife and slashed the PMD's throat.

There was a quick death struggle as the moose bled out on the leafy ground. Laying down his majestic head, he died.

Henry, whooping in amazement, wasted no time. With his knife, he sprung on the moose's back and started to hack at its neck. Blood sprayed from the white hair and onto his hands and sleeves, staining them a dark red.

"Help me cut its head off, bud!" Henry shouted hurriedly. "The Red Death will be after us in a minute, and we have to get this prize if we want a million dollars! Come on! Hurry!"

With a growl, Toothless jumped to the PMD's neck and started to tear away chunks of flesh with his teeth, as Henry desperately hacked.

The next three minutes were the most agonizing moments of Henry's life. He was torn between the need to run away from their terrifying pursuer, and the need for a million dollars. Was the cash worth the risk?

But finally, with one last savage hack, the giant head came free from the body. With a cry of exultation, Henry seized the massive antlers in his bloody hands and lifted the head onto his shoulders. He staggered under the weight, for it weighed at least fifty pounds. Blood dripped from the severed neck all over Henry's back and legs.

"Let's go, bud!" Henry groaned. "Let's get to the highway! This thing will slow me down a ton, but I have to bring it! Come on!"

Toothless, blood dripping from his jaws, growled in acknowledgement and led the way as Henry plodded behind him, lugging the giant moose head. His last two spears fell from his back and clattered away on the ground.

Henry was now defenseless except for his knife, and they had two miles to go.

It was then that Henry and Toothless heard the roar they had been waiting for with terror. The Red Death had gotten out of the river. Now he was after them once more.

Henry nearly cried in vexation. If he dropped the moose head, he was confident that he and Toothless could make it to the highway before the Red Death caught up. But if he kept it, he might not be able to. Once more, he was faced with the harsh dilemma. Should he drop a million dollars and safe himself? Or should he keep it and possibly die? He simply couldn't decide what to do. The only thing he decided was one thing.

A million dollars is REALLY hard to let go of.

Gasping for breath, Henry finally began to tire out. The fifty pounds of moose antlers, skull, and meat took a great toll on his stamina. His legs began to shake as he struggled to run through the trees. Often the huge antlers would get snagged on branches and bushes, slowing him down so badly Henry felt like screaming. The Red Death reminded him why he was running every few minutes, when he bellowed an angry roar from somewhere behind them.

Then, trying to get over a fallen log, Henry tripped and fell with a crash. The moose head flew over his shoulders and struck the ground, spraying blood all of the back of Henry's head. With a groan, Henry tried to get up. However, his legs refused to help him, and he reeled, falling on his face once again. He was too weak and dizzy to move. Whining in despair, Toothless leapt to his fallen companion. Grabbing Henry's sleeve in his teeth, he tugged, trying to help Henry to his feet. Henry was crying.

"I can't do it, bud," he whispered, tears trickling from his eyes. "I'm just too tired. Go on without me. Go. I die. You live. Go."

Toothless growled angrily, and pulled harder, this time dragging Henry a few feet.

"Go, bud!" Henry screamed, shoving at Toothless. "You saved me, now I save you. Just run! Leave me!"

Toothless roared his refusal in Henry's face. The stubborn wolf refused to move, and Henry collapsed, curling into a ball. With an accepting growl, Toothless stood over Henry and faced the trees, his teeth bared in defiance.

Henry, shaking with exhaustion, tried to think of a solution. The Red Death was coming, and Toothless would fight to death over Henry. He could not let that happen.

Suddenly, Henry felt stronger. His legs stopped shaking as newfound energy began to flow through him. He couldn't let Toothless die! He couldn't abandon a million dollars! With a burst of strength, he tried to get up, trying to get Toothless out of the way.

However, Toothless whirled around and howled a joyful cry, pointing his nose in the direction of the Funny River highway.

"What is it, bud?" Henry moaned, staggering to his knees. "What do you smell?"

Toothless never answered. From the opposite direction as the Red Death, there came barks of dogs and shouts of men. They were running through the trees towards Henry and Toothless.

The two hunters were saved.

"Over here!" Henry screamed, his voice cracking. "Over here!" He waved his arms.

"There!" A man's voice shouted from the trees. "Over there! Go!"

Crying tears of joy, Henry reached for Toothless. The men coming were hunters. They would have rifles and guns, which could fend off the Red Death. Grabbing Toothless' fur, he hugged his friend joyfully.

"We did it, bud," he laughed, burying his face in the camouflage bandage on Toothless' back. "We made it. We're safe."

Toothless growled softly, nudging his human's shoulder. Then the approaching hunters burst through the trees, and Henry looked up. Abruptly his face lost its happiness. In front of him were three big, gruff men, followed by three savage-looking hunting bloodhounds. They did not look like pleasant people, and Henry immediately guessed that they may not help him. When they saw Henry and Toothless, they stopped. Slowly, Henry clambered to his feet, having regained much of his former strength.

"A bear," he stated grimly, pointing behind him. "There's a bear chasing after me and my dog. He'll be here any minute now. Can you help me?"

The men didn't reply. They weren't even looking at Henry. Instead, their gaze was fixed on the large, heavy object at Henry's feet.

The albino moose head.

"Nice going, boy," the biggest man said, both surprised and angry. "You got the albino moose. You got two million dollars. Fuck you, kid. We were after that moose."

Henry frowned. "It's only a million dollars," he corrected the man.

"Not anymore," the man answered. He appeared to be the leader of the group. "The price was increased to double that earlier today. That's why we came out here, and yet here we find that you already got it, and you're just a kid! But we're not going to let that stop us; are we, boys?" He spoke to his men.

The second man stepped forward. He smelled of beer and smoke.

"A million dollars is a lot of money," he snapped, with a leer on his ugly, mean face. "Too much money for a kid like you. So I'll tell you what. We here are going to take this moose head, you're going to do nothing about it, you little moron. You understand me?"

Henry's lip curled in anger. This was exactly what he had expected from these men.

" _You_ don't understand!" he shouted angrily, pointing behind him. "There's a massive bear chasing after me, and he'll catch us in a few minutes! We have to get out of here! And also, that is MY moose head. I've gone through Hell and back for that moose head. You aren't taking shit from me. You got that!?"

All the men laughed, and the leader stepped forward, cocking his rifle.

"A bear chasing you?" he mocked. "BULLshit. You're a filthy liar. You just want to get us out of here so you can run off with your precious moose head. Well, let me tell you something, you fucking little puke. We are taking this moose head from you so we can get rich, and if you want to know what's best for you, you won't resist. Am I clear?"

He raised his rifle and pointed it at Henry's chest, so close that it rested against the buckle of Henry's shoulder holster. The three mean-looking bloodhounds behind the men growled and stepped forward, looking ready to attack. Toothless replied in kind, baring his teeth.

Henry looked up from the shining barrel that was pressed against his chest. He calmly met the leader's gaze, with a cool and collected, yet irritated attitude. His green eyes showed no fear, just disgust and hate.

"Let me tell YOU something," he snarled. "You won't dare shoot me. Both of us know that. Do what you want, but people know I'm out here, and if I don't return, they'll look for me. Police dogs will track my scent here, and they'll find yours, too. They'll also find a bullet from your guns in me. Murder. You can't get away with that crime around here, and you know it. So put down the gun."

The man grinned, showing an ugly set of teeth with a few missing.

"You think too much, boy," he leered. "And it'll cost you. But here's something you can think about. We are taking this moose head whether you want us to or not. But you're right, we can't kill you."

He lowered the rifle.

"But we can still beat the shit out of you."

Dropping his gun, he put up his giant fists. The other two men did the same, letting their rifles fall to the ground and advancing on Henry with raised arms. The three bloodhounds took after their masters, and turned on Toothless, their fangs bared in aggression. Battle was coming.

Henry grinned.

"Wow." He jeered, as the men started to circle him, trying to intimidate him. "What a bunch of cowards you guys are. You hunters call yourselves men? Stealing from a kid and threatening to beat him up is about as chicken-hearted as they make them. Three against one. Wow, I'm proud of you brave hunters. Well, I am not going to tolerate it. You guys just turn around and move along, and I won't have to hurt you."

The three men roared with laughter, continuing to circle Henry.

"Are you crazy, kid?" The leader chuckled. "There's three of us, and one of you. We're fit and fresh, and you're weak, injured, and tired. You must be a lunatic to think you can beat US. You're completely insane."

Henry grinned. "Maybe," he said, raising his bloody fists. "But I'm still gonna kick your asses."

And with that, he attacked the leader.

The man didn't know what hit him. Henry moved like lightning. He went in and out like a snake, hammering the first man on his bearded chin with a vicious uppercut. There was a sickening snap as the man's jaw broke, and he dropped to the forest floor like a rock, his jaw spurting blood like a spout.

One down.

There was a growling and snarling melee occurring on Henry's left. The men's three bloodhounds were attacking Toothless, and there was a savage whirlwind of teeth and claws as a vicious dogfight took place. But Henry wasn't worried. Even a wounded and tired Toothless could tear any dog in the state to shreds in seconds. So instead he focused on the two remaining men, who were staring in shock at their fallen leader.

"Well?" Henry asked, with a grin. "Who's next?"

The men looked up at him with newfound fear. With more caution this time, they advanced slowly, and then attacked at the same. Dodging, Henry met their charge, swinging his fists.

It was a brutal, bloody skirmish, and at first, Henry got the worst of it by far. He felt his face get hammered, once, twice, three times, but he kept fighting. He then saw an opening, and, with a fast blow, caught one of the men between the fork of his legs in a brutal kick. The man screamed in pain and fell to the dirt, holding his crotch and moaning. Reeling, Henry turned to face the last man, blood running from his cuts down his bruised face. The last man, roaring in anger at his comrade's defeat, pulled a knife from his belt and leapt at Henry, trying to stab him to death.

Toothless, who had already killed two of the dogs, saw the fatal attack. He snarled, and leapt from his fight on the ground to catch the man's knife arm in midair. He dragged the man to the ground, screaming.

"Attack, killer!" he screamed to his dog, who was the only one left alive after Toothless' deadly assault. "Killer! Attack!"

Henry saw the last of the men's dogs getting to its feet, his lips curled in a snarl and cuts all over his body. However, the dog interpreted the man's command wrongly. Instead of attacking Toothless, like the man asked, he jumped at Henry, his fangs bared in hate.

But Henry knew how to fight wolves, and when you can fight wolves, dogs are easy. Henry met the savage onslaught by raising his left arm, and the bloodhound closed his teeth on Henry's wrist, sinking to the bone. With his arm as a lever, Henry used the dog's own weight to swing the animal around. Mercilessly, Henry slammed the hound against a tree, cracking the dog's ribs like twigs. With his free arm, he drew his hunting knife. As the dog was reeling from the injuries Henry had just given him, Henry struck again. With a swift, practiced arm, he rammed the seven inch blade into the furred belly, and then sliced upwards. Blood sprayed as Henry tore the knife out of the bloodhound's gut, and the dog screamed in agony, releasing Henry's arm. The beast fell to the ground, writhing in pain. The hound howled in agony, its belly stripped wide open. Henry couldn't look as the damage he had done to the dog began to take effect.

The last man, whom Toothless had taken down, was still screaming in pain, Toothless continuing to hold down the knife arm. Henry sprung to the man's side.

"Let him go, Toothless!" he shouted, sheathing his bloody knife. "Let him go!"

Toothless obeyed, and the man grabbed his arm, screaming in pain. Henry was merciless. Picking up two of the men's fallen rifles, he tossed one to the man with the bleeding arm, and kept the other himself. The man, his face lined with agony, looked up at Henry's stern expression.

"You're going to have company in a few minutes," Henry growled, with an amused grin on his battered face. "I wasn't lying about that bear. He'll be here any minute, and he's a bitch to deal with." He gestured to the rifle he had handed the man. "Defend yourself."

As if in reply, a bear's roar came from the trees, very close.

Henry laughed, throwing the second rifle over his shoulders. Now armed, he reached for the moose head, laying it across his back once more. He ran for the trees, and then turned around for a final look at the damage he and Toothless had wrecked.

The three men were groaning and climbing to their knees, and the dogs were all dead or dying, struggling on the ground. The Red Death roared again, and the sound was even closer this time. The men, fear in their eyes, turned back to look at Henry as he stood by the edge of the bushes.

"Have fun," Henry laughed, and took off into the trees. The men panicked.

"Come on, bud!" Henry grinned, as he staggered along once more, leaving the cowardly hunters behind. "Ha ha! The Red Death will track us right to those three men! They'll have to fight him instead of me! With three of them, the bear won't dare to follow us. We win! But I've got to make sure that I can't be followed by those men afterwards. They'll be mad as hornets after what we did to them. I need to catch a ride on the Funny River highway immediately!"

Toothless growled in reply.

"Are you hurt?" Henry asked, looking down at his friend.

Toothless gave him a wolf grin.

"I take that as a no," Henry laughed. "I saw you tear apart those dogs, bud. Wow, that was awesome! We totally wrecked those jerks!"

There was a roar of rage from behind them. The Red Death had just caught up to the men. Gunshots rang out, and then shouts and more roars. Henry grinned.

"The Red Death can't fight three people!" Henry laughed. "We're safe now!"

As if to agree with Henry's statement, the boy and his wolf burst out the trees and found themselves next to the Funny River highway. As soon as a car came by, which was actually rather rare for this area of the road, they would be safe.

A distant, angry roar came from the trees, and the gunshots faded. The hunters had used their weapons, and the Red Death had fled.

With a whoop of victory, Henry bounced up onto the paved road, the giant moose head still on his shoulders. Coming around the corner of the road was a black pickup truck, and Henry got in front of it, dropping the moose head and waving his arms. The truck stopped with a screech, and Henry, flanked by Toothless, ran to the cab.

The shocked driver lowered his window. Henry realized that he must look like a madman to the driver. His dirty camouflage pants were torn, he was carrying a pistol and a knife on his chest, and his face and hands were cut, bruised, and bleeding. Henry admired the fact that the man in the pickup truck actually had the balls to roll down his window and speak to him.

"A thousand dollars if you can take me to Soldotna!" Henry shouted, leaning against the truck. "I need to get to Soldotna at once! I'll give you a thousand dollars if you can take me, my dog, and my moose head to town!"

The man was staring in shock. "What?" he demanded.

"Take me, my dog, and my moose head to town!" Henry repeated. "I'll pay you a thousand bucks if you do it. OK?"

"Uhh, all right," the man said hesitatingly. "I'm doing there myself. Umm, put the moose head in the back."

"Thank you!" Henry laughed, and then ran back to pick up the massive white moose head. Running to the back of the truck, he heaved it into the bed of the pickup.

"Toothless, get up there with it!" Henry shouted. "Make sure it stays there."

With a growl and a jump, Toothless obeyed, leaping into the bed after the head. Henry ran to the passenger side of the cab, opened the door, and hopped in.

"Let's go," he said to the driver. "I need to get to town before those crazy men know where I went."

The driver of the pickup was not a man to ask questions. He put his foot on the gas, and Henry, Toothless, and an albino moose head were soon on their way to Soldotna and safety.

They were also on their way to two million dollars.

 **Done! Chapter six is here. So I felt nice today, and didn't leave you with a bad cliffhanger like last chapter. But I couldn't resist last time; I mean, he fell off a** ** _cliff_** **! It was perfect! Well, I guess he didn't exactly** ** _hang_** **, but whatever. All the smartasses got it anyway. LOL. So, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Will Henry meet those mean hunters again? How will Gobber react to his son becoming a rich man? And what will Henry decide to do with his life? Look for next chapter to find out!**

 **And don't forget to review, either! :)**

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 **R**

 **seth8627: Cliffs ALWAYS result in cliffs. No exceptions. LOL. Anyways, thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the story.**

 **The Silent Fury: I have wrote the next chapter as of now! I trust that your addiction continues. LOL**

 **TidePoolAngel: Yeah, I can't even guess as to how many chapters this story will be. I mean, it's already chapter six and he hasn't even met Astrid for real yet! But he will soon, I guarantee it! As for your suggested FanFic, you should TOTALLY write it. If you know a lot about Australia or live there, then you should be able to take Hiccup/Astrid and stick em right into your backyard, like I did with this one! That kind of story would be original, that's for sure (I haven't seen any Australia Fics either). So write it NOW! :)**

 **Agent Khizar, my man! Seriously, though, I LOVE cliffhangers. I really don't know why, but I always feel like it's a marvelous way to end a chapter. Astrid/Heather – yeah, I'm putting them as friends in this story, not enemies. Competition appears when Ruffnut appears (whoops, spoiler). LOL. Anyway, thanks so much for the review. Over.**

 **jlrdsr: Thank you thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy it.**

 **DeathStrike59: Sorry. Cliffhangers are mean, aren't they? :)**

 **Dark Ghost coc: Of course I can't kill them now that you have threatened me :). Ahhhh! I don't want a Dark Ghost coming to my house with a shotgun. LOL.**

 **Masteroftime: Yeah, Toothless not smelling the Red Death until he was so close was a little unrealistic, but I felt that I had to throw in the element of surprise to make the story flow the way it did. I'm not sure if I'm going to add Stormfly as a character yet (I might and I might not) but Ruffnut/Tuffnut are coming soon. And yes, if Henry had the time and proper supplies, he could easily kill the Red Death – but sadly, he has none of that right now. Anyway, I love getting your reviews! More!**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt – or Mrs. Awesome Name: Yeah, the drawn out curse word was so fun to write that I did it again in this chapter! Hopefully it won't become a habit. LOL. Thanks so much for the review. I love it!**

 **Meyssa: Thank you! *Blushes* I'm so glad you like it.**

 **Boop: Thanks a lot! Hopefully this chapter is as amazing as the last.**

 **Guest No 1: Thank you so much! You're welcome, too! I like writing this story.**

 **Guest No 2: Thanks for the review. Glad you thought it was funny. Loooool :)**

 **Ilikecartoonsandzombies: First of all, that's one of the strangest names I've seen on this site. Cartoons and Zombies are an odd combo. Anyway, I'm glad you're hooked. I hope you stay that way! LOL.**

 **NorthrenWind: Thank you so much! I'm really happy you like it. I know a bit about trapping in the north (I did a little snaring when I was a kid) and I did go look at a little bit at TheWildNorth. It looks exactly like my backyard here in Alaska! Oh, and I will send you any questions that I have, too! Hope you like the other stories, but each one (as you've probably noticed by now) is really different than this one, so you may not enjoy them as much.**

 **Chuppachup/lollypop: Yeah, I could never kill Henry or Toothless – maybe. *Evil laugh* Yeah, and that bear's name is from HTTYD 1 - but you NEED to watch HTTYD 1 immediately! That movie is LEGENDARY. BTW your English is perfectly fine. :) Thanks for the review!**

 **TheWorldGoesBoom: Thank you Thank you! I fully intend to keep writing. Hope you keep enjoying!**

 **anon: Glad you've seen all the good ones! Hopefully this one is at least partway as good. :)**

 **TormWyndaru: Yeah, I am so proud of this idea! It's so one of a kind that I just had to post it. I mean, who's ever posted a story where Hiccup is an Alaskan? Anyway, hope you like it! :)**

 **Httyd 4 Life: Yeah, I intend to have Henry embarrass himself when he gets to school, but he won't be an awkward, stuttering little chicken baby loser. I really don't like that kind of wimpy Hiccup; I prefer the Hiccup that WRESTLES BEARS! LOL. Anyway, thanks so much for the support!**

 **UnbreakableWarrior: Thank you, Sir King of Reviewers! I'm glad you like this one.**

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 **NatB.**


	7. An Alaskan Party

**So… Here it is. Chapter seven, finally. I was kind of getting bored of this story recently, and for a while I have been chugging away at Captain Hiccup in my free time instead of this one. Sorry. And thanks, Foster117, for kicking me in the ass and making me post this faster. LOL.**

 **Anyway, another reason it took me a while to write was because I really had to adjust my imagination from a rural Alaskan wilderness to a standard High School party environment, which was, for some reason, really tough for me to do. Let me know how I did in that regard, please. But here we go! Lots of Astrid and a little bit of Henry. Enjoy!**

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 **Oh yeah, reviewers first. I've replied to all of you at the end of the chapter.**

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"Sir? Sir?"

"Huugguuhhh?" Henry opened his eyes slowly. He was sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck, staring dazedly out the window. He was being jostled. Henry turned and saw that a man was reaching across the truck and shaking him.

"Sir?" he said, with a concerned look on his face. "Sir, we're in Soldotna. You fell asleep."

"Oh – yeah." Henry lifted his head and rubbed his eyes, wincing in pain as he straightened up. Dried blood cracked on his hands as he moved them, and groaned as he saw the condition of his left arm. He had an ugly dog bite just above the wrist, and it had stained his camouflage shirt a dark red.

"Damn," he muttered. "I feel like shit."

The man nodded. "You look like it. You should really go to a hospital. I don't know what on earth you were doing out there by Funny River, but you're hurt pretty bad. Do you want me to drive you there? I can do it no time."

"Umm, no thanks," Henry replied groggily. "It's not that serious, and I've got stuff to take care of first. Are we at the trapping store?"

"Yes. Just like you asked."

"All right." Henry reached for the handle of the pickup and opened the door. With a groan of pain, he slid his feet to the concrete pavement of the parking lot. His legs felt so sore that he thought they would fall off, and his knees buckled. He grabbed onto the door to stabilize himself.

"Is my dog in the back still?" He asked the man, straightening up with an effort.

"Yeah, he is," the man answered. "And that's not a dog, kid. That's a wolf."

"I know." Henry was too tired to say anything more. "Look, Mr., I promised you a thousand dollars, but of course I don't have it with me right now. Can you give me your name and address so I can send it to you?"

The man waved his hand. "Naw, forget about it. I always help a man in need. Besides, telling this story to my friends will be worth it."

Henry shook his head. "Nope. I'm paying you, and I'm too tired to argue, so just accept it. What's your name?"

The man opened his mouth to protest, but when he saw Henry's determined look, he nodded.

"All right," he said. "My name's Dakota Peterson. Here's my address." Dakota fished in the glove box for a second and then handed Henry a slip of paper.

"Well, Mr. Peterson, I won't forget you," Henry answered, stuffing the paper in his pocket. "I'll send you your money as soon as I can. Thank you so much. You probably saved my life."

"You're welcome," Dakota answered, and stuck out his hand. Henry hesitantly shook it. Dakota didn't seem to mind the filth and blood that was all over Henry's arm.

"Thanks again, Mr. Peterson."

Hobbling around to the back, Henry shook Toothless, who was asleep in the bed of the truck.

"Hey, wake up, bud," he said. "It's payday."

Reaching into the back, he heaved out the massive white moose head. Toothless, waking up instantly, leapt from the back and landed adroitly, his camouflage bandage still wrapped around his back with the help of Henry's belt. Henry then grabbed the rifle that he had stolen from the three men he had fought.

Throwing the moose head over his shoulders, Henry stumbled towards the door of the trapping store, pausing to nod to Dakota Peterson, who waved a farewell. Toothless reached up with his paws and turned the knob of the door for Henry. Henry twisted his shoulders so the antlers of the moose head would fit, and then stepped through the door. He heard Dakota's pickup truck start again.

Using his leg to kick the door shut, Henry looked up. Ned Barker, his old buddy, was standing at the counter, his back to the door.

"We're about to close," Ned stated, without turning around to see who it was. Henry grinned.

"You're closing now," he stated.

Ned turned around, and Henry simply had to laugh as a look of astonishment came over Ned's face.

"Wasn't expecting this, were you?" Henry grinned, his swollen lips cracking.

Ned's look of shock and amazement turned to that of concern, and he leapt over the counter.

"Henry, you look like you've been through Hell and back," he said. "Put the moose head down and let me look at you. How badly are you hurt?"

It was at that moment that Henry realized just how much he did hurt. Dropping the moose head to the floor with a crash, he dropped into a nearby chair. The rifle fell also, clattering away on the ground.

"Dog bite on my left forearm," he mumbled. "Small gash across lower chin. Face is beaten and cut. Legs feel like they're going to fall off."

"Right," Ned said. "Just sit there. I'll get some stuff and we'll clean you up. Dog bite on your arm, you say?"

"Yeah," Henry replied. "And get some sterilizing agent for Toothless. He got cut up pretty good, too."

"I'm on it." Ned sprinted to the back of the store.

Whining happily, Toothless nudged Henry with his nose.

"Yeah, we did it, bud," Henry said, grabbing Toothless' ears and rocking his head back and forth. "We won. We got a million bucks, two million if those loonies told me the truth. Good job, bud. Good job."

Toothless growled softly, burying his head in Henry's lap. Henry never really realized just how big Toothless was until he sat down. Then the wolf seemed to tower over Henry, and made him feel small. Toothless was quite an impressive size.

Ned came jogging back in the room with a medical kit. Putting it on the floor next to Henry, he opened the box.

"Save it," Henry mumbled. "Go take pictures of that moose head and send it to that rich guy in New Mexico. Get me my money. I need to make sure this was all worth it."

"Well, you put something on that dog bite and chin gash," Ned ordered, standing up. "Those'll get pretty nasty if you don't take care of them. I'll go get a camera."

"Right," Henry muttered. Ned ran into the back of the store and Henry, grimacing, peeled up his shirt sleeve. Sticky, nasty blood and pus were oozing from the dog bite on his forearm. Bloodhounds were no wolves, but they sure could bite.

Wincing, Henry took a wet cloth and laid it over the wound. Finding himself too tired to scrub, he leaned back in the chair and groaned.

Ned came back in, a camera in hand.

"All right, Haddock," he said. "I'll take pictures and send them, and then I'm taking care of YOU, money or not. You're too tired to lift a pencil."

Henry muttered a response.

Ned walked over to the moose head and dragged it in front of Henry's chair so that it would be in the picture with Henry.

"All right," Ned grinned. "Smile, or say cheese, or something."

"Go fuck off," Henry replied, and flipped Ned off. Right then the camera flashed and Ned took the photo.

"HA HA!" Ned laughed, looking at the picture on the camera. "This is awesome! You're flipping off the camera and it looks badass. I am totally sending this one."

Henry was too tired to argue. Ned disappeared and went to send the picture and a message to the buyer. Henry dozed off, the pain from his injuries being the only thing that kept him awake. Presently Ned returned.

"The guy will call me as soon as he gets that message," he said. "I sent it to the email he specified when he made the offer, along with the picture."

"Cool," Henry groaned.

"All right, now let me take care of you two," Ned said.

Henry pointed at Toothless. "Take care of him first," he said. "He's got four deep gashes on his back that need to be sterilized and stitched.

Ned didn't argue. Reaching down, he undid Henry's belt and pulled the bandage off Toothless.

"Wheeeww," Ned whistled, as he saw the cuts on Toothless' back, which were still stuffed with mud. "All right, Toothless, go wash off that mud at the spigot in the back, and then I guess I'll stitch those up."

Henry grunted. "Yeah, bud, do that."

Toothless growled a reply and then walked to the back of the store.

"All right," Ned said, kneeling down next to Henry. "While he's cleaning up, let's take care of the dog bite first, that'll be the most serious."

There was no answer. Ned looked up, and saw that Henry was asleep.

* * *

Astrid's phone rang. Sighing, Astrid reached across the bed and picked up her cell. 'Heather,' the caller ID said.

Wondering why Heather was calling her, Astrid slid her finger across the screen and held the phone to her ear.

"Heather? What's up?"

"Oh, hi Astrid!" Heather replied. "How are you? Are you busy right now?"

"I am totally NOT busy," Astrid replied, leaning back on her pillow. "I am literally just sitting in bed doing NOTHING right now. What's going on?"

"Are you down for a party tonight?" Heather asked excitedly.

Astrid's eyes widened. "A party? Umm, what kind of party are we talking about here?"

Heather laughed. "A typical High School party. Even up here in Alaska we still do that. And by typical I mean, you know, typical."

Astrid laughed. "Who on earth is hosting THAT kind of party during summer vacation?"

Heather chuckled again. "The football quarterback, who else? His parents are out of town, and he says he's got the whole house to himself. And when you leave Scott Jorgenson with an empty house, there's only one thing he knows how to do."

"Uhh, so why am I invited?' Astrid asked, sliding her legs off the bed and standing. "I like don't know ANYBODY up here yet, except for you and a few other people. Certainly no football quarterbacks. Would it even be okay if I came?"

"Oh, totally!" Heather laughed. "And since you don't know anybody at all, then that's all the more reason you should come. All the kids from West High, our school, will be showing up. Besides, you might like Scott."

"Oh, really?" Astrid grinned. "You know, just because he's a sports star like me doesn't mean I would like to date him."

"I didn't say that!" Heather argued.

"Oh, you sure did," Astrid laughed. "Or you implied it well enough. Besides, he probably already has a thousand girls, why on earth would he like me?"

Heather laughed again. "Because you're going to be popular and you're really hot. You'll blow all the other girls out of the water."

Astrid blushed. "Hey, no flattery," she retorted. "I don't like it."

"It wasn't flattery," Heather replied. "Seriously, you're going to make a sensation if you show up."

Astrid groaned. "I don't like sensations," she pleaded.

"Oh, come on!" Heather replied. "Just say you're coming. I can come and pick you up."

"Well, where is the party at?"

"Over by Earthquake Park. Do you know where that is?"

"I saw it on the trail system," Astrid replied. "I know the general area. It's actually quite a ways from my place."

"Well, are you coming?" Heather asked.

Astrid sighed. "What time does it start and when does it end?"

Heather laughed. "It starts at seven and ends like, tomorrow at two AM. Of course."

Astrid grinned. "Fine. I'll go. But you'll need to pick me up. My mom stole my car for today."

"Oh, no problem," Heather answered. "Just give me your address and we're good."

Astrid rattled off her address as Heather jotted it in her phone. "Okay," she replied. "I'll pick you up at around six thirty."

Astrid smiled. "All right, Heather. I'll be ready."

"Great!" Heather answered. "See you then, Astrid."

"Right." Astrid hung up and sighed. She stared at her cluttered room with unpacked boxes and piles of clothes.

"Well, I guess I'll find something to wear," she laughed, and started to go through the mess.

* * *

"Henry! Wake your sorry ass up!" Ned Barker was shaking Henry again.

"Yeah, Ned," Henry grumbled. "What's the row?"

Ned held out a phone to Henry. "It's the rich guy. He saw the picture and wants to talk to you."

"Oh!" Henry snapped upright and grabbed the phone. His left arm was heavily bandaged, and he had a difficult time talking because of all the bandages on his face, especially the one on his chin. Ned had done a good but very thorough job of patching Henry and Toothless up. Henry was still groggy and sore, but he spoke anyway.

"Yeah, sir?"

"Hey!" A cheerful voice came from the other end of the line. "Are you the guy that shot the moose? Henry Haddock?"

"That's me," Henry replied, sitting up straighter.

"Well, nice work!" the man answered readily. He had a happy, friendly tone. "I saw that picture and was dumbstruck. It looks like you had to go through Hell to get that moose head for me."

"I sure did," Henry said. "I got destoyed by a bear, got chased for four miles, killed that moose with a spear, and then had to fight three men who tried to steal it from me with my bare hands. Not to mention, I nearly caught hypothermia and died the night before."

The man whistled over the line. "I thought Alaska was a fairly civilized area these days," he said. "But I guess I was wrong. Why did you have to kill the moose with a spear? I saw a rifle on the floor in the picture you sent me."

"Well, the bear I fought destroyed my first rifle," Henry answered with a rueful grin. "Too bad, too, because it was my dad's. I stole the one you saw in the picture from the three men that jumped me."

"How did you fight off three men?" the man asked incredulously. "That's incredible."

"Uhh, well, I had my dog's help," Henry answered. "But still, I had to knock two men down and defend myself against one of their dogs. My good pal did the rest for me."

The man laughed. "Wow. I am greatly impressed, Mr. Haddock, and even more so since you did all that to get me my moose head. Since I kind of feel responsible for all the damage I saw in that picture, and because it looked REALLY awesome as you flipped off the camera, I'm going to pay you even more than I promised."

"Was it a million or two million?" Henry asked. "I heard different stories."

"Well, it was two million," the man said. "But for you, I've decided to increase it to five million."

Henry snapped upright.

"What?" he asked, hoarsely.

The man laughed. "Five million, Mr. Haddock. It's all yours. I will have my man transfer that amount to your bank account right away."

"But five million, sir!" Henry was aghast. "That's an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money!"

"And you went to outrageous lengths to earn it," the man replied promptly. "Don't even argue with me, Mr. Haddock. I have LOTS of money, and I like to spend it as I see fit. I have decided to spend five million on you. Deal with it."

Henry plowed a hand through his hair.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered.

The man laughed. "Hopefully you'll have a better use for it than I do. And make sure you get all sewed up. That picture looked ugly."

Henry nodded. "I already have, sir. Friend of mine took care of me."

The man made an approving noise. "Sounds good, Mr. Haddock. Have the moose head shipped to the address my man mailed your friend, and I'll pay the shipping and taxidermy charges. That moose head will look glorious when it's hanging in my bedroom. And can I use that picture you sent me to show around?"

Henry laughed. "I hope you enjoy it, sir. And yeah, you can totally use that picture."

"Oh, I will," the man answered. "Your money is being transferred as we speak. But that dog that was in the picture – there's no way a dog could be that big. He looks like a wolf to me."

Henry chuckled. "You guessed it," he said. "Toothless is a wolf, and he's my best pal."

"Good for you." The man paused. "Look, I know you said he's your best pal, but after I saw how majestic he looked, even as badly hurt as he was in the picture, I decided I want a stuffed black wolf too. If you would be willing -"

"Absolutely not, sir," Henry said firmly. "Toothless' life and mine go hand in hand. I'd rather give you myself, stuffed and put in a glass cage, than my friend."

The man sighed. "Oh well. Your money is being paid right now, Mr. Haddock. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Trust me, the pleasure's all mine," Henry grinned.

"Thank you again, Mr. Haddock."

"You're more than welcome." The line disconnected.

"What was all that?" Ned asked curiously.

Henry shook his head. "He's paying me five million instead of two."

Ned gaped. "What the hell?"

Henry laughed. "Yep. Five million bucks."

Ned stared. "Geez, Henry, you're rich. What are you going to do?"

Henry opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, and closed it again. He got to his feet.

"I'm going to move somewhere," he laughed. "I'm going to move to Anchorage. I'm going to buy a house and learn how to drive a car. I'm going to go to High School like a normal kid. I'm going to care about nothing and just have fun. Maybe play sports." Henry grinned.

"And I'm going to party like crazy."

* * *

Heather's car zoomed up to the curve, where dozens of other cars were already parked and unattended. There were lights on all over the big house to their left, and noises of a classic High School party were coming from within.

"Is this it?" Astrid asked, staring with interest at the large house. It looked well-kept and fancy.

"No, it's at the house across the street," Heather joked, and then laughed. "OF COURSE it's this one, Astrid. Are you surprised?"

Astrid shrugged. "No, not really. But it's a big house. It's even bigger than mine."

Heather laughed and turned off the car. "Are you ready, Astrid?"

Astrid nodded, glancing down at her blue dress. "I'm always ready for some fun, I guess," she answered. "I'm just a little nervous, though. I mean, I don't know anybody around here and I'm walking into a party with them."

Heather laughed as the two girls stepped out of the car.

"Oh, you know what they say," Heather grinned. "You always make the most friends when you're drunk."

Astrid chuckled. "You certainly do."

"Come on, then," Heather said, walking up to the front door. With a push of her finger, the doorbell rang. In a few seconds, the door was opened by a tall, lanky boy with blonde, flowing hair. It fell down to his shoulders in the back.

"Hey, Tuff," Heather said, stepping inside. "Good to see you."

"I was wondering when you would show up, Heather," the boy grinned. "You missed the best part, though. Someone straight up caused an explosion in the kitchen a while ago. There was a fire for like three minutes! It was awesome!"

Heather grinned. "Are you sure YOU didn't start the fire, Tuff?" she asked accusingly.

"Well," the boy admitted, "I was just trying to cook Melissa's hat on the stove. I had no idea it would get so out of hand."

Heather shook her head, laughing. "Astrid, this is Tommy Thorston," she said, gesturing to the blonde boy. "But we all call him Tuff. He's the source of all trouble anywhere."

Astrid laughed. "I believe it. Cooking a HAT on the stove? What on earth were you thinking?" she asked, as Tommy (Tuff) Thorston shook her hand.

"Hey, that's what I do," Tuff grinned. "And I never think. Destroying things is my specialty. So you're Astrid, huh? Are you new up here or something?"

"Yes, I am," Astrid replied. "This is my first Alaskan party, actually."

"Well, try to make it memorable," Tuff grinned. "If you want, I'll go light another hat on fire for you. Trust me, it's really cool."

"Umm, no thanks," Astrid said. "I'll pass. It'll probably happen eventually anyway."

Tuff laughed. "You know me already!"

The two girls laughed and Heather asked another question.

"Where's Scott, Tuff? You two are always hanging out together."

"Not when he's making out with my sister we're not," Tuff retorted. "That's when I have to clear the area. It's disgusting. So right now I'm on door duty. But anytime you wanna dance with me, Astrid, I'll be more than happy to quit."

"Uhh, not right now," Astrid answered. "I'm kind of trying to get into things before I REALLY get into things."

Tuff waved his hand. "Sure. Go have fun." He raised his voice. "Hey, Eric, bring me another beer!"

Heather guided Astrid away from Tuff and into the living room of the house, where there was wild dancing and partying. The music was loud, and Astrid could hardly hear what Heather was saying.

"Do you want to go get a drink, Astrid?"

"Sure," Astrid answered, loudly, so that she could be heard over the music. "I'm a little dried out."

The two girls pushed their way through the crowd of rowdy teenagers and over to the table where loads of red plastic cups were stacked and beer flowed like water.

"Bud Light or Coors?" Heather asked, as the two girls walked up.

"Coors," Astrid said. "They both taste really bad, but Coors is better."

"You bet it is," a voice said. It was a commanding, authoritative voice, and the two girls turned to see who it was.

Astrid knew immediately that this boy was Scott Jorgenson. He had a smooth combed swath of black hair, and muscles bulged from underneath a tee shirt with a skull and crossbones on it. He had a gangster style tattoo on his right arm, which Astrid noted was thick with muscle. She also noted that it was draped around a blonde girl's shoulders. A smoking hot blonde girl, who certainly knew how to look appealing.

"Coors is the best," the big boy said, reaching for a cup on the table with a free hand and downing it in one gulp. "No question about it. It's good to see you, Heather. Who's your pretty friend?"

"I'm Astrid Hofferson," Astrid smiled. "I'm new around here. I assume you're Scott?"

"Heard about me already, huh?" Scott smiled cockily. "Of course you did. It's my party, after all. But I'm disappointed. Tuff said that he'd let me know if any hot girls walked in, and I didn't hear anything when you got here."

Astrid's eyebrows went up, and she did not fail to notice the look on the blonde girl's face, who was still with Scott. The blonde looked both angry and resentful towards Astrid. Well, that was natural; her boyfriend obviously liked Astrid.

"Was that a compliment?" Astrid asked the big boy, taking her eyes from the girl.

Scott laughed. "Of course it was!" He let his arm fall from the blonde's shoulders. "Are you up for a dance, Astrid?"

"Well -" Astrid stammered, and then Heather cut in. "She's totally up for a dance, Scott." She elbowed Astrid. "Right?"

"Uhh, sure," Astrid said, looking once at the blonde. She was now angry as a hornet, and was glowering out of her brown eyes.

"Come on, then," Scott smiled, and without another word, led her into the thick of the dancers.

Astrid always laughed at the word 'dancing' at a High School dance. Dancing was not even a thing anymore. It was now just a 'girl puts her arms on guy's shoulders' and 'guy put his hands and her waist (or lower down)' and then they just rocked back and forth. In Alaska it was no different. Scott slid his hands over Astrid's smooth waist, and Astrid let her arms rest on his shoulders. He was strong. Astrid could feel his thick muscles rolling under her palms.

"So where are you from, Astrid?" Scott asked, as he began to guide her through the throngs of dancers.

"I just moved up here from New Orleans," Astrid told him, as they moved around on the floor. "My dad got a sweet new job and we all decided to move up here for a year or two."

"Well, what do you think of Alaska?" Scott asked, with a big grin. "Anchorage is quite a bit smaller than any city you've probably ever seen, but the traffic is a LOT better. I actually think I was down in New Orleans for a football camp. It's a nice place."

"It is," Astrid replied. "Lots of stuff to do and places to run."

"Oh, you're a runner!" Scott nodded. "I should have guessed. You have an -" he glanced down at Astrid's legs, "a fit figure."

Astrid could barely stifle a smile. Scott had been desperately trying to find a different word than 'sexy.'

"Yeah, I'm a runner," she replied. "And you are a football player, right?"

Scott looked proud. "Oh you bet I am," he said. "The quarterback and the captain both, of course. The quarterback is always the captain, right?"

Astrid laughed. "Not necessarily. It's just the best player that's always the captain now. I don't like it. They're stealing the leadership quality that a captain should have, and instead just having the captain be the guy with the most talent. It's not right."

"Oh, come on, babe, are you saying that I don't have leaderships skills?" Scott moaned.

Astrid shrugged. "I don't know you well enough yet. I'd have to see."

Scott grinned, leaning forward and sliding his hands lower on Astrid's waist. "I can show you," he teased. "You know. Upstairs."

Astrid flushed. "Umm, no thanks," she said, pushing Scott's hands off of her. "I really don't do – that."

Scott looked surprised. "Come on, Astrid," he said. "It's a party. Have some fun. I can make sure of that. Come on with me."

"Umm, yeah," Astrid said. "Well, why don't you go have fun with your girlfriend over there? And don't just get me out here and then ask to take me upstairs." She looked directly at Scott's eyes. "You know, I really don't like guys that just try to impress girls and then bang them. I'd like to go talk to someone else."

She started to walk away, but Scott grabbed her shoulders. "Look, Astrid," he said, as if he was confused. "I'm the captain of the football team, and the most popular guy in the school. Come on, what's up with you? Why are you here?"

Astrid scowled. "Look, I'm not here to just meet popular guys and get laid. I just came for some fun. Go back to your girl. Take her 'upstairs' instead. And get away from me, you jerk." She shoved Scott's hands off her shoulders and moved away. Scott didn't grab her this time.

Astrid already felt bad, and she hadn't even drunk anything yet. Her first party in Alaska, and she had already made enemies with the coolest guy in West High school, her new school. Things were not looking good. She made her way over to the beer table and grabbed a cup of beer. With a gulp, she downed the whole glass and took a deep breath. She already wanted to leave.

"I'm surprised."

Astrid whirled at the sound of the voice. Turning, she saw a guy sitting in a bog armchair in the corner. He was wearing a brown shirt and held a red cup of beer. He looked to be mildly interested. He was also pretty fat.

"What are you surprised at?" Astrid demanded.

He pointed the red plastic cup at her. "At you," he said. "Most girls go right after Scott when he shows them a little attention. But not you." He took a sip of his beer. "Who are you? I haven't seen you around. And I know the names of exactly 96.12% of everybody in this house. You're new, aren't you?"

Astrid raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I'm new. And really? 96.12 percent? How on earth did you come up with that number?"

The chubby boy shrugged. "I didn't just come up with it. I KNOW it. Exactly 96.12 percent, including you. There have been one hundred and three people in here, and I didn't know only four of them. So if you do the simple math, you get 96.12 percent. Simple. Easy." He shrugged again. "Frank the nerd, they call me."

Astrid grinned, and picked up another cup of beer. She walked over to the chubby boy and sat a chair next to him.

"Do you just sit here and count people?" Astrid asked, taking a drink.

The boy nodded, staring moodily into his cup. "Yeah. The only reason I'm even here is because I'm a lineman on the football team, and Scott invites the whole team and I feel like I have to at least show up. But sometimes I see something that interests me." He gestured at Astrid again. "Like a pretty girl shutting Scott down. What's your name?"

Astrid grinned. "I'm Astrid. What's yours?"

"Well, my real name is Frank," the boy replied. "But around here they all call me Fishlegs. Don't even ask."

Astrid laughed. "I'm asking."

Fishlegs shook his blonde head. "Well, try drinking a full 20oz bottle of Dr. Pepper before a football practice, and then figuring out during practice that it was actually beer. Happened to me the first time I stepped onto the football field at West High. I think Tuff switched the soda with beer. I was trying so hard to not let the coach know I was drunk, and I kept wobbling around. And the name Fishlegs was born." He grinned ruefully. "It's what comes from drinking too much soda. After that, they thought I was just a joke, but I came back the next day sober, and they saw I was pretty good at being a lineman."

Astrid nodded. "Lineman. What's your job?"

"Well, I'm both offense and defense," Fishlegs replied. "Which means that when the other team has the football, I try to push the other guys where I want them, and hopefully make them fall on their asses. When we have the ball, I try not to fall on my ass. That's the simple explanation."

Astrid laughed again and took another drink of beer. It tasted terrible, but she kept it anyway.

Fishlegs gestured at her. "You're an athlete too, I can tell. What sport? Softball? Tennis?"

Astrid swallowed the vile-tasting beer. "Neither. Cross Country runner."

"Ahh," Fishlegs replied. "You good at it? I mean an honest, no BS answer. Are you good or not?"

Astrid laughed again. "I'm not bragging, but I'm beyond good. I'm – phenomenal."

Fishlegs grinned. "Cocky, are you?"

"Hey, I'm just quoting the news people," Astrid retorted.

Fishlegs raised his hand. "All right. Point taken. You see a lot of news time?"

Astrid nodded. "Yeah."

"Good for you," Fishlegs answered. "That's something I always wished for. But linemen get LITERALLY NO attention. The running backs, quarterbacks, and even receivers get the cameras, but no one gives a shit about me and my boys, who are doing the real work on the line. Unfair world." He tapped the arm of his chair.

Astrid nodded again. "It sure is. How hard is your job on the gridiron?"

Fishlegs chuckled. "All right, picture a MASSIVE, 300-400 pound guy in front of you, sneering out his pig nose at you. You know that he's going to be throwing ALL that weight at you in a few seconds. And if you don't stop him, the coach will scream at you."

Astrid laughed. "That sounds – fun."

"Oh, it SURE is," Fishlegs muttered, into his drink. "How hard is running?"

"Well," Astrid replied, "imagine that 300-400 pound guy, and then all of a sudden he turns into giant bear on the football field, and now he's chasing you for five kilometers. You've got to run faster than him."

"Yikes!" Fishlegs laughed. "THAT escalated quickly."

Astrid laughed and then sighed. "Yeah, that's kinda what it is. Except when I run, I'm the bear, and I'm trying to catch my prey."

"The runners in front of you are your prey, I assume?" Fishlegs asked.

Astrid smiled. "When I run, there's no one in front of me," she said. "No. I try to catch the biker that leads the race. That's where the REAL challenge lies."

Fishlegs raised his eyebrows. "You said you were a phenomenal runner a few minutes ago. Define that, please."

Astrid shrugged. "Fastest runner in the state of Louisiana as a High School sophomore."

Fishlegs raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. So you're looking to take it all up here in Alaska?"

"That's the plan," Astrid smiled. "So why don't you get up and dance, Fishlegs? You're on the football team, you seem popular enough. Come on, you don't have a girlfriend?"

Fishlegs chuckled, taking another sip from his red cup.

"It's kinda rough when the girl you're after is going out with the quarterback," he said. "Scott's got Riley Thortson good and hooked, and there's approximately only 4.87% chance that I'll EVER have a chance at her."

Astrid frowned. "Riley Thorston? You mean that blonde that Scott was hanging out with?"

"That's her," Fishlegs replied. "She's actually Tuff's sister. Have you met that guy yet?"

Astrid grinned. "Oh, yeah. In fact, I'd better go check to see that he hasn't lit MY hat on fire yet."

"That's Tuff for you," Fishlegs laughed. "But he causes as much chaos on the football field, and when you're playing defense, then there's nothing the opposing QB hates more than that. So he's valuable. I'd say about 65% of all our sacks come from him just doing the most random crazy stuff ever dreamed of. Coach had made up a few planned plays based on what he's seen Tuff do. Unreal." He shook his blonde head.

Astrid laughed. "So Tuff is a master of chaos, huh? Is his sister the same way?"

"If you mean relationship chaos, then yeah," Fishlegs grinned. "I mean, she gets her hooks in the hottest guy in the school and then won't let go until she feels like it. Right now she's onto Scott like a leech. Any girl that gets Scott's attention she shuts down pretty quick." He gestured to Astrid. "And he seemed to like you. So watch your blind side, Astrid."

Astrid smiled. "Thanks, Fishlegs. I'll keep that in mind."

"Nice meeting you, Astrid," Fishlegs said, closing his eyes.

"Can I get you another beer, Fishlegs?" Astrid asked, stepping over to the table. "Seriously, though, how can you even like this stuff? It tastes like piss with a little bit of onion."

Fishlegs laughed. "That's right, you're a runner. Don't you like eat salads all day or something?"

"Noo!" Astrid was indignant. "Salads? Are you crazy? We like to be healthy, but we need energy, too. I'm talking chocolate milk, granola, bagels and spaghetti."

"I LOVE spaghetti!" Fishlegs agreed. "You should come over to my place for dinner one of these days. I've got a treadmill at my house, too, if you want to use that. My dad got it for me so that I can lose some weight. As you can see, that never got anywhere." He patted his plump stomach.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that," Astrid said. "So do you want some more or no?"

"Weeeellll," Fishlegs said, reddening, "I don't actually drink beer." He gestured to the red cup he was holding. "This is Dr. Pepper. I can't stand that stuff on the table." He shrugged, embarrassed. "I just don't like beer. Sober man, I guess." He chuckled nervously.

"There's no shame in that at all," Astrid said, admiringly. "I wish I had never decided to drink beer. Anyway, I'm going to go find Heather. Thanks for the chat, Legs."

"No problemo." Fishlegs raised his red cup in farewell and Astrid turned back from the secluded corner and into the crowd.

Glancing around, she peered over the heads of the people, looking for Heather in the noisy place. The black hair was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, she glanced back in front of her and found herself face to face with Riley Thorston. And she looked angry.

"Umm, hi," Astrid said carefully. The blonde was clearly blocking Astrid's path.

"Don't give me that," the girl snapped. "Who are you, you little runt? And who the hell do you think you are, trying to steal my boyfriend like that?"

"Steal?" Astrid laughed. "He kind of stole me, and then I told him to go to hell. I did you a favor, little miss 'I think I deserve the quarterback.'"

Riley's lips tightened. "Look, you, I want to make one thing clear RIGHT away, before you try any more tricks. Scott is MINE, and you aren't going to take him. NO ONE is. You got that?" she was leaning directly into Astrid's face. Her breath smelled like too much perfume and beer. Astrid wrinkled her nose.

"If he's YOURS," she mocked, "then I would get a better grip on him. He seemed to forget all about you pretty quick as soon as he saw me around."

Riley snarled. "Watch out, Miss _Astrid_ ," she said.

Astrid blinked. "How do you know my name?"

Riley gave Astrid a savage grin. "Your dear friend Heather isn't exactly protecting of you when she's drunk."

Astrid groaned. "Heather is drunk already?"

"She will be soon," Riley said. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Nothing," Astrid snapped. "I want to go home and I need a driver. A driver that is NOT intoxicated."

"That's a good idea," Riley said threateningly. "You should leave as soon as possible and not show up anywhere near Scott again."

Astrid was angry. "Look, Riley," she retorted. "I will do what I please when I please without a care about you or anyone else. I really don't give a shit about Scott Jorgenson. I don't give a shit about you! So just let me be and I'll let you be. Simple as that. I didn't move up here to make enemies, but I'm not going to let you control my life, either. So I'm going to do what I want to. Understand?" She shoved a finger against Riley's chest.

Riley shoved Astrid's hand away. "You'll stay away from Scott," she growled. "Or you'll be hearing from me. I'll make your life miserable. Do you know who I am?"

Astrid grinned. "It's not hard to guess. Head cheerleader, Miss hot stuff? Dates the popular guys?" She raised the corner of her mouth. "In short, you're the school slut."

Riley reached out and slapped Astrid, hard, on the cheek. Astrid recoiled, dropping back a step, as Riley laughed mockingly.

"Hey, a fight!" someone shouted from next to them, and in a twinkling Astrid and Riley were surrounded by a crowd of people who had heard the shout. A chant was started.

"Fight, Fight, Fight!" they all shouted, pumping their arms.

Astrid was not amused. She had seen this happen a thousand times back at High School parties in Louisiana. Two drunken people, usually guys, would get needlessly pissed off at each other and duke it out with drunken curses and clumsy punches. She always looked on those fights with disgust and ridicule, and yet, here she was, at her first High School party in Alaska, and she was already in one. Riley Thorston looked like she was enjoying herself.

Astrid was not interested in fighting anyone. In fact, she was not a fan of fighting in general. But her pride had been wounded. Riley had hit her first. Besides, that blonde bitch was just standing there with a dumb look on her face….

Astrid snapped. Angrily, she stepped forward and faked a slap to Riley's face in return. The blonde ducked, as Astrid had guessed, and she timed her punch perfectly, swinging up with her fist just as Riley was bringing her head down. Astrid's knuckles felt like they had gotten hammered back into her hand as she caught Riley directly on the chin, snapping Riley's head back. The blonde crumpled to the floor like a rag.

"OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone roared, as Riley made no move to get up. They began to all speak at once.  
"Wow!"  
"Who is that girl?"  
"She packs a punch!"  
"Nice shot!"  
"That's my kind of gal!"  
"KO!"  
"Whoaaa!"

Astrid, holding her jammed knuckles, watched as Riley Thorston groaned on the floor, unable to get up. A figure pushed her way through the crowd, and Heather came into the circle of cheering teenagers. She stared at Astrid and then Riley, groaning on the floor.

"Wow, Astrid?!" she shouted. "You decked her!"

"Astrid!" Someone chanted, and then the entire place took up the cheer.

"ASTRID, ASTRID, ASTRID!"

Astrid looked around. The entire building was chanting her name. Heather stepped over Astrid and hugged her.

"Astrid, you kicked her ass!" she cried. Heather was clearly drunk. "You put her DOWN! Nice work!"

Astrid felt sick. The whole place was cheering her for punching someone out. Without a second look at Heather or Riley, she pushed through the crowd of people, who slapped her on the shoulder and cheered her as she passed. Getting to the front door, she burst out onto the porch and into the brisk night air. Her knuckles hurt badly.

Sighing, she walked down the porch steps and stopped, shaking her head. She wanted to get out of the place, but she didn't have her car and she didn't have a ride. Shaking her head, she pulled out her phone. She hated to call her mom for a ride, but she did have her car, after all.

The front door opened behind her and closed. Groaning, Astrid didn't even look behind her. No doubt it was Heather or someone telling her to stay. But the voice wasn't Heather's.

"Hey, do want a ride?" a familiar male tone asked.

Turning, Astrid saw Fishlegs. He was standing on the porch, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He gestured to the curb.

"My car is right over there. I'm going home, and I'll be happy to give you a lift." He shrugged his big shoulders awkwardly. "Besides, you want to leave, I can tell."

"Yeah, sure," Astrid sighed, pocketing her phone and rubbing her knuckles once again. "Thanks, Fishlegs."

Nodding, the chubby boy walked down the steps, noise of the party still echoing from inside. He led Astrid to a dull grey Toyota on the edge of the curb. He pulled out his keys.

"This is an old car, but still good," He apologized, as he walked around to the driver's seat. "I got it for cheap, so yeah."

He got in the car and had to unlock Astrid's door from the inside. He then tossed all the junk on the passenger's seat into the back, which was filled with trash and papers. With her unhurt left hand, Astrid opened the door and ducked into the brown leather seat.

Fishlegs turned on the car and gestured to Astrid.

"Seat belt, please," he said. "Sorry, I'm kinda paranoid."

Astrid, without replying, reached for her seat belt with her left hand. It was a little awkward without her dominant hand, and she fumbled slightly as she clicked the belt into place.

"That was a pretty sweet punch," Fishlegs grinned. "How bad is the hand?"

"Uhh, it feels like my knuckles have been jammed up to my wrists," Astrid replied. "I've never really – PUNCHED someone before, you know?"

Fishlegs nodded, turning on the car. "Do you want some ice?" He gestured to the glove box. "There are some cold packs in there. Pretty handy for after a football practice, but the season doesn't start for about four months yet, so feel free to use them."

Checking his mirror, he pulled away from the curb.

Astrid took up his offer of ice pack. Reaching into the glove box, which was filled with receipts and candy wrappers, she found several ice packs. Breaking one, she shook it and put it on her knuckles, which were already swelling up.

Fishlegs pointed at the road. "So where am I taking you, Astrid?" he asked.

"My house," Astrid answered. "I am going to go to sleep and try to forget what just happened in there. NOT what I wanted to happen."

"Hey, you got popular in a hurry," Fishlegs commented, turning onto another road. "There's no better way to get attention around here then by a winning a fight against the head cheerleader." He grinned. "Riley deserved it, I guess. But I've still got a crush on her, so try not to kill her, OK?"

Astrid sighed. "I'm never going to live that fight down, am I?"

Fishlegs grimaced. "I'm afraid not. And I can almost guarantee you that on the first day of school in a few months they'll be pointing at you and saying 'oh, yeah, that's the girl that knocked Riley on her ass.'"

Astrid groaned. "Oh, no."

Fishlegs chuckled. "Well, like I said, you'll be popular already. Come on, everyone wants to be popular."

Astrid shook her head. "Yeah, but I don't want to be popular THAT way. I like to be the girl who they point at and say, 'she is the best runner, like, ever.'"

Fishlegs shrugged. "No reason you can't have both."

Astrid smiled. "All right. Sure. Astrid the race-winner and Riley-basher."

Fishlegs laughed. "You've got it. So what the address of your place, Astrid? I'm about to get on the highway."

Astrid told him.

* * *

 **Whew. All right, a lot of new characters added. Frank(Fishlegs) Ingerman, Scott Jorgenson, Thomas(Tuff) Thorston, and Riley Thorston. I've decided to get rid of the 'Ruff' name for this story. For some reason it didn't seem to fit the character I have. And also, have any of you dear readers seen a HTTYD Modern AU where Ruffnut was named 'Riley?' I'm curious, because I don't think I have. Usually it's Rebecca or Rachel or something else for an AU name. But whatever, I like Riley.**

 **And yeah, I didn't go too much to Henry in this chapter, sadly. But he'll be around in the next one, and he'll actually probably have the whole chapter to himself. He needs some page time to get himself his money, move into the city and meet someone important! LOL.**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and leave me a review please. Opinions and ideas are always welcome, no matter what they are. Just FYI, I haven't really plotted out any cool stuff that happens directly after Henry moves up to Anchorage, so if you can give me any good ideas for a scene, there's a high chance it'll happen! :)**

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 **Reviewers:**

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 **Cloud4012: Oh, yeah! Lots of action! I** **had so much fun with that chapter. Hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy!**

 **Angryhenry: It's already getting fun, isn't it? Hopefully it stays that way.**

 **NorthrenWind: Glad you got to look at my other stories. So far this one is the most popular. I hope you keep enjoying it!**

 **TheWorldGoesBoom: Badass Henry is awesome, isn't he?**

 **Masteroftime: Not a whole lot of detail in that chapter, I agree. But I had to get through the whole day quickly, and detail wasn't the best route for that. Interesting guess there with Astrid's dad, but honestly that's something I never even thought of. Now, I don't know a whole lot – or basically nothing at all – about wolves or black wolves, but what I'm doing with Toothless is that he's black no matter the season, just to make it simpler for me. And no, that chapter was NOT down to earth at all. I pumped Henry up to a superhuman level. I honestly don't even think it's physically possible to all that in a day, like, you just CAN'T. I mean, fifty pounds on your back for a mile? You're kidding me, right? So yeah, it's not realistic at all, but whatever, its fiction. LOL.**

 **TidePoolAngel: Yeah, I had to put in a fight scene. LOTS of action in that chapter. Thank you for the support! You've been a consistent reviewer and I love it!**

 **ImoLex: Glad you like it! Thanky!**

 **Dark Ghost coc: Somebody is about to get rich! I can't wait! And whew! No ghost with a shotgun! LOL.**

 **jlrsdr: Yeah, Henry just kicked some major ass in that chapter. Injuries are pretty serious, and we'll see how those go down!**

 **TomBoyBookGirl: YES! I know I've got a HTTYD lover when they say 'Oh my Thor!' LOL. Thank you for the review!**

 **Guest No1: Yeah, LOTS of close calls. Action, action, action. I love it! Hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **Foster117: My faithful story follower – it was your reminding me to get working on this that made me do it, so thank you. Here you go, next chapter, just for you. :)**

 **Ilikecartoonsandzombies: Yeah, the name is a little strange but still cool. Glad you like the story, read on!**

 **Khizar: Yeah, I was going to use that 'hunter becomes the hunted' for the chapter title but I decided it was too long. Yeah, sure wasn't those hunters lucky day. First they got beat up, and then they had to fight the Red Death. Think you've had a bad day? But yeah, they deserved it. Jerks.**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt: Thankee! I don't know why, but those extended, stretched out curse words seem to be more intense than just a simple one. LOL. Hopefully this chapter makes your day too! :)**

 **Red-Knight: Romance is coming, I promise! But this whole Red Death/albino moose/million dollar thing took a LOT longer than I anticipated. But gimme a few more chapters, and then we'll get some romance, I guarantee it. Thanks for the support!**

 **Falcon of Midnight's call: Thank you! I have made the top ten! *Fist pump* YESS! LOL.**

 **Iolanthe Ivashkov: I am updating now! Hope you like it!**

 **Guest No2: Oh yeah, Henry is a top-notch ass kicker. Do you know how hard it would be to run for a mile or two with fifty pounds on your shoulders? The first thing that comes to my mind is impossible. I don't even think it IS physically possible to do that. But this is a fiction book! LOL. But TOO EASY!? He fought a bear, fell off a cliff, nearly froze to death, runs for an hour or two, and then fights a bear again, kills a moose, runs with a fifty pound moose head for a while, fights three men, kills a dog, runs with the moose head again, and only THEN does he get safe. TOO EASY? What more do you want? A semi-truck to run over the pickup? I think he's earned that million by now. LOL. :)**

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 **All righty! Thank you all for taking the time to let me know what you thought. On with the story!**

* * *

 **NatB.**

 **NatB.**


	8. Who Wants to be A Millionaire?

**All righty, chapter eight has arrived! And once more, I make my deepest apologies. No Hiccup/Astrid in this chapter. BUT I PROMISE they will meet again next one! I mean, I REALLY promise! So be patient and read on! Romance is coming!**

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 **Reviewers, my favorite people in the world, your replies are at the end of the chapter! Thank you all!**

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"Yes, Mr. Haddock. Your bank account now shows as you having five million dollars." The bank cashier smiled at Henry from behind the counter. "You are now a millionaire, Mr. Haddock."

Hiccup drew in a shuddering breath and then buried his face in his palms. His shoulders shook with a mixture of laughing and crying. Ned Barker put his arm around Henry and grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, man, you're a millionaire," Ned whispered. "You've got it. You can do whatever you want now."

Henry continued to laugh and cry. The cashier was still smiling. "Do you want to take any of it out now, Mr. Haddock?"

Henry raised his head. Tears were falling down his cheeks but he had a smile on his battered face.

"Yes, please," he said. "I want eight thousand, in cash, right now."

The cashier nodded. "We can do that for you, Mr. Haddock. In hundreds or fifties or what size bill?"

"Umm, put three thousand in fifties," Henry said. "And then five thousand in hundreds."

The cashier nodded again and began to click on her computer. "Let me see your ID please, Mr. Haddock."

Henry dug in his bag and pulled out his birth certificate and all the forms of identification that he had. He had gone back to his place to collect them.

"You don't have a driver's license?" the cashier asked, curiously.

Henry nodded. "I could never afford a car." He then burst out laughing. "I couldn't afford a CAR! Now I can buy a hundred cars. I don't believe it."

The cashier smiled again and took the ID Henry presented. While she was checking it, Henry turned to Ned.

"I just can't believe it," he said. "Only yesterday I was pretty much penniless. Now I'm a multi-millionaire."

Ned grinned. "You're a lucky son of a bitch, Henry. I'm happy for you."

"Mr. Haddock?"

Henry looked up. Sitting on the counter was a stack of bills. Hundreds and fifties. Henry stared at it, and then took a slow step closer to the counter, still gazing at the bills.

"Mr. Haddock?" The cashier asked. "Would you like to have the money separated somehow?"

Henry didn't answer. He was standing still, staring at the money as if he was transfixed.

"Mr. Haddock? What's the matter?"

Henry snapped back to reality. "Sorry," he whispered. "I – I - I've never seen so much money in one place before."

The cashier looked sad. She looked up at Henry. "Would you like it separated, sir?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. Put one thousand, in fifties, into one envelope. Then put two thousand, in fifties, into another envelope. And then put the remaining five grand into a bag." He grinned. "I want that."

The cashier reached for some envelopes. "As you wish, sir," she replied. With a quick movement, she put three thousand into separate envelopes and then the rest of the money into a bag. She handed all three of them to Henry.

"There you are, sir. Thank you for choosing First National Bank Alaska."

Henry grinned, accepting the money. "It's been more than a pleasure to do business with you."

The cashier laughed. "You have a LOT of money, Mr. Haddock. Use it wisely."

"I intend to," Henry said. "And I'm going to start right now." He turned to Ned and held the envelope with the two thousand dollars out. Henry didn't notice, but the entire bank went silent. Everyone turned and stared at Henry and Ned.

Ned stared, too. "What are you doing, Henry?"

Henry smiled. "This money's for you, Ned. Consider it the hospital bill for fixing me and Toothless up."

Ned shook his head. "No. I can't. Look, I would have done it for anyone. It would have been wrong if I didn't do it. And you're my friend, Henry. That's what friends do."

Henry held the money out further. "And I'm asking you as a friend to take this," he said. "You've done a LOT more for me than just fix me up. You've always given me the best deals on my traps. You've always kept things that you knew I'd want. You always had Toothless' favorite jerky whenever I brought him into town with me. You took care of me. You took care of getting me my money, and you've been honest and square with me all my life. Take the money, Ned. I won't back off. You're my friend, and you've been the best friend I could ask for. So take the money. I just wanted to say thank you."

Ned bit his lip. "Henry, I never helped you today just so I would get paid. I can't take that."

Henry slapped Ned across the face with the envelope. "Ned, don't make me argue with you!" He laughed. "Because I won't back down. You've done me favors all your life, and it's about time I gave you one. So take the money, Ned. Just do it, or I'll sick Toothless on you."

Ned grinned. "Thanks, Henry," he whispered. He reached out and took the envelope. "This will help me out quite a bit. But I didn't help you for the money, Henry. I did it for you."

Henry grinned back. "It's what friends do, man. You've helped me, and now I help you. Deal?"

He held out his hand. Ned took it and the two grasped each other's hand firmly.

"Deal," Ned said.

"All right!" Henry laughed, and threw his arm around Ned's shoulders. "Let's go! I've got something else to do."

The pair turned to the door, and then Henry stopped. The entire crowds of people in the bank were holding up their cell phones and videoing the two of them. It was deathly quiet.

"Uhh, should I smile?" Henry asked, awkwardly.

The crowd of people had formed a circle around Henry, and as he spoke, it parted, exposing three men.

Three men Henry recognized very clearly. The hunters from Funny River. They were bruised and beaten, like Henry, and all of them looked like they wanted to grab Henry and grind him to bits.

Henry turned and handed the bag of money and the other envelope to Ned. "Hold these," he said. "I may need to have some free hands."

Henry stepped forward, into the center of the ring of people.

"What do you three punks want here?" he demanded. The people in the bank shared uneasy glances with each other. The three men stepped forward also.

"We want the money, kid," the leader said. "We have a right to it. You beat us up. You killed our dogs. You owe us."

Henry laughed. "The only thing I owe you is a call to the police," he said. "You three thugs jumped me and tried to kill me this morning. You almost did kill me. This guy" – Henry pointed at the man with his arm in a sling – "Attacked me with a knife and tried to stab me. If my dog hadn't saved me, you would be on trial for murder. I owe you nothing and I'm giving you nothing. Consider yourselves lucky I'm not pressing charges for assault and attempted murder."

"Assault?" the leader laughed. "You struck first, you little shit."

"I struck first because you pointed a fucking RIFLE at my chest and threatened to kill ME!" Henry roared. The people in the bank shrank back in fear. "What would any sane person do in those circumstances except fight back? You guys are a disgrace to Alaskan hunting. I shot that moose fair and square, and you came and tried to steal it."

The men took uneasy glances at all the cell phones that were around. The entire conversation was being filmed. "What if we deny it?" one of the men asked. "It's three against one. I say we shot and killed that moose ourselves. Didn't we, boys?" He gestured to the men beside him.

"That's right," the leader said. "We shot the moose, and then this little punk attacked us and stole it!" He was addressing the crowd of people.

Henry laughed. "Nice try," he said. "But that'll never fly in a court. For instance, there's a bullet in that moose head, and it's not from one of your guns. It's from my pistol. That can be easily checked. And that moose carcass has no other bullets in it. You just lied on film, and I can prove it. I can also prove that I got that moose in another way. If you men still claim you killed it, then you would have had to cut off the head. When you did that you would have gotten a good look at the carcass. What is in it?"

The men glanced at each other. "Umm, well, you're lying, kid," the leader said uneasily. "We shot it. It's our bullet in the moose's head, not yours. And there's nothing in the carcass."

Henry grinned. "Oh yes there is, and if you want me to, I'll prove that, too." He turned and looked at the cell phones. "There's a four foot long spear stuck in the moose's lower neck," he announced. "It's carved from a pine branch. I know because I carved it myself and put it in there." He turned back to the men. "You've just lied again on camera, and I can prove what I said is true. Besides, if I took that moose head from you, like you claim, then you would have already cut the moose head from the body. Your dog's tracks should be all around the carcass, and they're not. That's because if we got police dogs on the trail, they'd track your dog's scent from the Funny River road to the place where I killed them, in self-defense, mind you. I can prove ALL that, and you don't have a shred of evidence to back up your bullshit story. And you've lied in front of about twenty cameras. If this case went to court, I can tell you right now you've already lost."

The men knew Henry was right. They looked around at the people uneasily.

"I could have you all thrown in jail for life if I wanted to," Henry said. "And I _will_ go back to Funny River today and take pictures of everything so I can prove what I said. In fact, I've already got pictures of the moose head and the bullet that killed it. So don't bother me again, or I'll kick your asses again and THEN call the cops. I'll even be nice and return the rifle I stole from you. But if I ever hear from you again, I'm pressing charges."

Henry pointed at the door. "Get out of here, you worthless scum."

Sullenly, the three men turned around and left. The crowd of people in the bank cheered.

"Aww, go to grass," Henry muttered, pushing his way out after the men. "I'm not a hero. Leave me alone."

Ned, however, turned to one of the people with a cell phone and asked him a question.

"Hey sir, can you email me that video you took? Henry will want it."

Ned then got offers from everyone who had filmed the scene, and he gave his email address to everyone. Ned and Henry exited the bank, and saw the three men getting into a pickup truck. They drove off and, seeing Henry, flipped him off out the window. Then the truck slowed down, and a man leaned out the window.

"You haven't heard the last of us, you clown," he snarled. "One day you'll find yourself in a dark alley without your wolf next to you, and then you'd better look out. You'll look up and see me there. And I'll kill you." The truck swerved off.

Henry grinned. "What a bunch of assholes," he said to Ned.

Ned chuckled. "Do you think they'll make trouble for you?"

Henry shook his head. "They won't. That was just small talk. I've got the evidence to back up whatever I need to prove in court, and they don't. Those films those people are sending you will clench it. I'm good."

Ned nodded. "I agree. Where do you want to go now, Henry?" He handed the bag of money and the second envelope to his friend.

"Well, take me to the post office first," Henry said. "I need to mail this money to a man named Dakota Peterson. I owe him a thousand. After that, we can go back to the trapping store, pick up Toothless, and then go home. I can't wait to see the look on Gobber's face when I show him this money."

Ned laughed. "Post office it is, then."

The two boys strode through the parking lot and paused at Ned's truck. Just then pickup truck with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game logo pulled up, and two men, dressed in Fish and Game uniforms, jumped out. They knew exactly who they were looking for.

"Henry Haddock?" one of the men asked, walking over to the two boys. "I take it you are the man who shot the bull moose, the albino?"

"That's right," Henry answered warily, leaning on the door of Ned's truck. "What do you have to do with it? It's perfectly legal to shoot albinos. Don't tell me you're giving me a fine."

The second man laughed. "We don't always go around trying to nab hunters for doing the wrong thing," he smiled. "In fact, our visit has nothing to do with the moose at all. My name is Carl Johnson and my pal here is Larry Fitzgerald. We're wildlife rangers, and are not interested in the moose, but the other aspect of your hunt. We want to talk to you about the bear you saw while you were out there."

Henry's eyebrows went up. "The bear?" He asked, taking his foot off the running board and straightening.

"Right," Carl answered. "The three men who attacked you filed a report on the beast a few hours ago. When we checked up on it, it turns out we had a similar description already in stock – yours, from eight years ago. When I told the men that, they said you had seen the bear too, while you were hunting, and it chased you into them. We figured that you could tell us more about it."

"Damn right I saw the bear," Henry said. "He gave me this." He gestured to his bandaged chin. "And he got my dog pretty good, too. He chased me from the Kenai to the Funny River."

The two wildlife rangers looked at each other. "Can you describe the bear for us Henry?" Larry asked, pulling out a notebook.

Henry sighed.

"You'll laugh, but here we go," he said. "Before I go into anything else, allow me to point out that this bear is the size of a small car."

The two men nodded soberly. "We know. The three men told us that. You concur?"

"Yes. He's seriously that big. Head is about the size of a car tire, and claws are at LEAST six inches long."

The men nodded again, and Larry scribbled in his notebook. Carl motioned with his hand. "Go on. It's a he-bear, are you sure of that? This bear isn't a cow?"

Henry nodded. "He's a grizzly male, I know that. And I say grizzly, but his fur is – well, different than the standard bear. It's brown, but it has a red hue. I'd say he's more of a red bear than a brown bear."

Carl nodded again. "That's what the men said."

Henry plowed his hand through his hair. "That's all I really know about the beast."

Carl frowned. "Can you tell us about the bear's behavior? The men said it attacked them with savagery. We want to know why. Was it provoked?"

Henry spread his palms. "The bear was chasing me. He attacked me at first because I invaded his territory. He put me out rather forcibly by knocking me into the Kenai River. But I don't get it. He was persistent, even after I left. He wanted me dead. He crossed the river and pursued me for two miles. He's a demon. His behavior? I'd say he doesn't have 'behavior' at all. The thing is a killer. It was born to kill. My gun did nothing to stop him. He could easily maul any man in Alaska. This bear is unpredictable." Henry looked up. "That's all."

The rangers nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Haddock." The two men tipped their hats and turned to leave.

"Wait," Henry said. The men turned. "Look, why do you need to know all this?" Henry asked.

Carl rubbed his chin. "Well, after the report filed by those three men, Fish and Game decided that the bear is a threat to the people of Soldotna and needs to be eliminated. We're going to hunt it down and kill it. It's too dangerous to have on the loose."

"Are you worried about it?" Henry demanded.

Carl shrugged. "We're a little concerned, but no bear can beat us. We'll have it in a few weeks."

Henry guffawed, laughing so hard that the stitches in his chin almost came out. He clutched his stomach.

"Oh, that's a good one!" he roared. "A few weeks! Oh my God, Ned, hold me up, or I'll have a fit!" Henry grabbed the handle of the pickup truck to steady himself as he shook with laughter.

Carl looked confused. "What's the matter with you, Mr. Haddock?" he asked. "The bear is a threat, so we're going to kill it within two weeks."

Henry controlled his mirth and looked up. "No, you won't," he grinned. "You won't even _see_ that bear in two weeks. In fact, my guess is you'll never catch him at all. In a month you'll give up."

Carl frowned. "I think you're underestimating Fish and Game, Mr. Haddock," he said stiffly.

Henry shook his head. "I KNOW you're underestimating this bear, Mr. Johnson. He's dangerous and highly intelligent. Go on, hunt him down. But when you find him, don't blame me if you're dragging a dead Wildlife Ranger out of the woods."

Carl and Larry looked at each other. "You say you've hunted this bear for a long time," Carl said slowly. "Why do you say that?"

Henry looked sober. "Because I know this bear, Mr. Johnson," he said. "He's been raiding my traps and snares for ten years. In all that time I've only been able to fire one shot at him, until yesterday. If I had twenty of the best hunters in Alaska I might get him. But your rangers will never even come close. And if they do, they won't get him. He'll get them." Henry shook his shaggy head decidedly.

Carl and Larry looked at each other, and then Larry spoke slowly.

"All right, Mr. Haddock. You think we need more experienced hunters. Well, we could use some, I guess. Surely you want a piece of revenge after what he did to you. Would you join us in the hunt for him?"

Henry opened his mouth and closed it again. "No," he said slowly. "I'm retiring from hunting now. I have money now, and I'm going to move out of this town right away to get a start. The hunt for that bear will take months, at least. As soon as he figures out a troop of hunters are on his trail, he'll run the rivers past Tustemena Lake and he'll never be found. So I won't waste my time." Henry shrugged. "Sure, I'd love to get revenge for what he did to me and my dog, but he did me a favor when he chased me right into that albino moose and five million dollars. Maybe in a few years, after you guys have given up, I'll come back with Toothless and we'll try to hunt him down once and for all. But not now, and certainly not with hunters as clumsy and stupid as yours are."

Carl and Larry looked offended. "Mr. Haddock," Carl snapped. "We are highly trained in what we do. Our hunters are proficient and talented. You're insulting Fish and Game."

"Yes, I am," Henry replied insolently. "You and your so called Wildlife Rangers have been making life hard on self-sustenance hunters like me ever since I was a kid. And I have zero respect for your system. I reported that bear as a dangerous menace about ten years ago, even showed you a photo, and you laughed at me." Henry scowled. "Like I said, I have zero respect for you."

Without waiting for an answer, Henry opened the door of Ned's truck and jumped in. Closing the door, he spoke through the open window.

"If you're hunting that bear, BE CAREFUL," he said ominously. "First of all, that bear is the smartest predator I have ever seen. I've hunted him for years and he's always eluded me, despite his size. Second, if you ever do find him, make SURE your guns are loaded with slugs, not just bullets. I put eleven rounds into that bear today, and he didn't even BLINK. You may need a cannon to take down that thing."

He paused, and then spoke again.

"And you'll never catch him."

* * *

A few hours later Henry said goodbye to Ned Barker and walked up the steps to Gobber's cabin, Toothless at his heels. As always, he didn't bother to knock, and swung the door open, the bag with his money dangling from his hands. He entered and saw Gobber sitting on the couch, reading a magazine and sipping beer. He looked up as Henry crossed the threshold, and then jumped to his feet.

"Holy bejeebers, kid, what happened to ya?" he demanded, tossing the magazine to the floor. Henry grinned. His arm was in a sling and his face was covered in bandages. No doubt he looked like a sight.

"Uhh, I've been out hunting, Gobber," Henry grinned. He pulled the bag off his shoulders, the one that held five thousand dollars in cash. "And it may not look like it, but it was the best idea I ever had."

"Best idea?" Gobber grinned. "Yer face looks like a truck hit it, kid."

"I know," Henry grunted, swinging the door closed. "But it's nothing too serious. A few stitches, that's all."

"Well, it improves yer look, kid," Gobber laughed, and then scanned Henry's outift. "Where'd you go, kid? And what appened to yer gun?"

"I lost it," Henry answered. "It's lying broken alongside the Kenai River."

"What were ya doin out there?" Gobber demanded. "You ran out like lightning yesterday."

"I was getting rich," Henry answered.

"Stop jokin, kid," Gobber groaned, sipping his beer.

Henry swung the bag of cash off his shoulders. "It's no joke, Gobber," he said.

Henry stepped up the table in front of the couch and opened the bag. Lifting it, he emptied the contents onto the table. Five thousand dollars in hundred crashed to the table, some spilling over the edge and fluttering to the ground. Gobber stared, and Henry dropped the bag and flopped down on the couch. Toothless padded up and leapt onto the leather sofa also, laying his giant black head in Henry's lap. Henry stroked the fur lovingly as he grinned up at Gobber.

His stepdad was staring at the money like he was transfixed. His mouth opened, closed, opened, and then closed again. He was utterly speechless. Henry laughed.

"Well, are you going to get me a beer, or are you just going to make me sit here dry as a bone?" He laughed.

Gobber snapped out of his trance, and stared at Henry.

"Jesus, what'd ya do kid, rob a bank?" He asked incredulously.

Henry laughed. "Nope, Gobber. I earned that. I shot an albino moose, and some crazy rich guy from the states paid me a LOT of money for it." Henry picked up Gobber's beer and drank it.

Gobber flopped down on the couch in disbelief. "This wouldn't have anythin to do with ya tearing through my house yesterday and yellin some random shit about gettin a million bucks?" he demanded.

"Well, I understated that a little," Henry grinned. "It's actually FIVE million."

Gobber gawked, and was stone still for a full minute. Then he blinked and spoke. "You aint shittin your old man, are ya?" he asked quietly.

Henry sipped the beer. "No. No shit this time, Gobber." Henry took a deep breath. "I'm a multi-millionaire."

Gobber stared, and then he leapt to his feet. "Woohoo!" He laughed, throwing his arms in the air. "Henry, ya got what ya wanted! Ya can move to the city! Ya can go to school, kid! Henry, you've got it!"

Henry smiled softly.

"Yep, I've got it, Gobber. I can do whatever I want now."

Gobber finished his war-dance and sat down again.

"Henry, you're a lucky dog." He grinned. "What are ya still doin here? Pack up your trap line, go git outta this place. Move to Anchorage. Hell, ya can move outta state. Go have fun while you're still young. Go and party! Go and bang some girls!"

Henry chuckled. "I'm planning to do exactly that, Gobber," he said. "I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to pack up my trap lines and my gear. I'm going to close down my cabin and clear out my furs. And I'm going to move." Henry took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about it for hours. I want to move, but there's a few things for me to settle first."

Gobber frowned. "What things, kid?"

Henry looked at Gobber, and put the beer bottle down on the table, next to the pile of money.

"Well, when I move, I need to take Toothless with me."

Gobber frowned. "That may not go well, kid. That wolf was born ta lead a pack, Henry. In the city he'd pine away."

Henry looked thoughtful, and stroked the fur on his wolf's neck. "I agree," he said. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Would he come?" Gobber asked. "Come on, kid, you know that wolf better than I do."

"He'd come, Gobber," Henry said. "In fact, he wouldn't leave me. I wouldn't be able to make him stay. And Anchorage isn't that big. He could still go into the wild and hunt. He'd just live with me still. So I guess Toothless wouldn't be a problem."

Gobber nodded.

"Second, I'd need to get a driver's license and a car," Henry said. "And a bicycle. That'll be easy. I've got the money now. Then I can drive up to Anchorage and buy a house and get settled."

Henry's stepdad laughed. "Five million? I should say so, kid."

"And after all that is done," Henry said. "There's a third and final thing."

Henry turned to face Gobber.

"I want you to come with me, Gobber."

Gobber stared. "What did ya say, kid?"

Henry grabbed his stepdad's shoulder. "I want you to come with me, Gobber," he said. "Come on, you can't stay here forever. We've worked hard our whole lives. We need a vacation, Gobber. I'm moving to Anchorage. Come with me."

Gobber kept staring. "Kid, it's your money. Don't spend it on me."

"I wouldn't have to," Henry answered. "Just let us move up. There's a thousand shops and stores in Anchorage. You could get a job, and we could hang out in our own house. Come on, Gobber."

Gobber looked thoughtful. "Hmm. Maybe…"

Henry grinned. "And there'll be a lot more bars and pubs up there, Gobber. Say you'll come – dad."

Henry looked appealingly at his stepfather.

Gobber stared for a minute and then laughed. "All right, kid. You got me hooked. When are we leaving?"

Henry whooped so loudly that the sound echoed for miles around.

* * *

 **So sort of a filler chapter here, I guess, but I had to explain what's happening with the money, the hunters, the Red Death, and Gobber. So next chapter we are Anchorage bound! To the city and school! And meeting someone familiar. :) So once again, sorry for the delayed romance, but it's coming, I swear to the Gods!**

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 **Reviewers:**

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 **seth8627: Thank you! Hope you keep loving it!**

 **TidePoolAngel: I can't wait either! Next chapter he begins the move, although he may not meet Astrid. I can't WAAAIITT! Lots of money, too. Ha ha.**

 **Agent Khizar: Yeah, I wish I could throw money around like that rich guy did. And that picture would be funny to see. If I were Henry I would frame it and put it on my wall. You know what, Henry will. I just decided. And Astrid/Riley fight was fun! Astrid decked her. She deserved it though.**

 **TheSilentFury: Reaction coming up, if not next chapter then the one after! SOOO close! Hopefully it'll be awesome. I really can't wait to put them back together.**

 **SharKohen: I'm really glad you liked that scene. I totally agree, and in fact, I don't think I've ever read a good Hiccup and his dad scene. Too much awkward stuff. Gobber and Hiccup click like a computer mouse. LOL. I really enjoyed writing their banter and teasing.**

 **Guest: Thank you! I'm not planning on neglecting it, even though it's tough to write three stories at once. People like this one the most, though, so I'm trying my best to keep it updated and good!**

 **skyred89: That would be an interesting turn of events, but I have other plans for all that stuff. Maybe the hunters will return after all…**

 **Foster117: I'm so glad you're such a fan of this story! Say sorry to your family for me, because I woke them all up at midnight! LOL. Thank you for the support on all my stories, and this one in particular. You're the best!**

 **Dark Ghost coc: Oh NO! The shotgun is out again! AHHH! I hope this chapter came out quick enough to keep me temporarily safe! LOL. *Am hiding in my closet and keeping the light on at night in terror* :)**

 **One-Crazed-Up-Dragon: Yeah, I am very proud of this Modern AU plotline, or at least, its originality. I'm actually getting a little exasperated with how slow this story is moving – I hoped to put him back with Astrid in Chapter five. Oh well. Once they do re-meet each other, it'll get more fun, I hope. Thanks for the review, Crazy Dragon!**

 **NorthrenWind: The sky is the limit with this story, isn't it? I am going to try and have fun introducing Henry to the city environment, his first HS party and day at school, and ha ha ha. And there will be lots of adventure coming up! I'm glad you reminded me, cause it made me excited just to think about it. :)**

 **Guest: Thank you! Glad you like it!**

 **Guest: Thankee! I am trying to keep it up, to the best of my abilities!**

 **rodina2000: OK, I try not to reveal too much about character development and such, but I will say that I do NOT intend to have Henry as a jerk/asshole/jock. He will be a sports guy, and he will be funny and confident, but I do not intend to make him a jerk. Money certainly won't make him so. As for Riley, that's a secret! But I will hint to you that Riley always tries to get the hot guys, and when Henry shows up – yeah.**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt: Henry had a rough time of it, didn't he? Alaska is harsh. LOL. And I am proud of my Fishlegs character. I kinda made Riley/Ruffnut OC, but that was necessary for the story, so, yeah. Thanks for the review, Mrs. Name that makes me smile every time I see it!**

 **Andy493: Thank you man! I'm so glad you like this one and my other stories. Nothing I like better than reviews like yours. Makes me feel proud of myself.**

 **GreenBlueCat: You have seen Riley as a name for Ruffnut? OK, so there is another one. Yeah, I was really surprised when I decided to use Riley and realized that I had never seen an AU with a 'Riley' for Ruffnut. It's good to know that there is one. Anyway, thanks for the review, Multicolored Feline!**

 **Cloud4012: I can't wait either! Next chapter will have him in Anchorage – hopefully. Can't wait to put him into High School with his badass nature and yet utter cluelessness. It will be legendary! Maybe…**

 **Hazel Topaz the Dragonrider: It IS a romance fic! And I'm sorry, I've spent too much time with them apart. But I promise they will meet again next chapter! Pinkey Promise! On my honor as a Viking! LOL. It SHALL happen!**

 **Crofty666: Hmm, your imagination is too smart. You're starting to guess my plot! LOL. But no, that guess isn't entirely accurate. Henry is moving hundreds of miles away from the Red Death, so the bear going after him is a little preposterous. But its blood IS boiling for revenge! Maybe he will return – maybe. *Evil grin***

 **anon: Your wait is over! Read on, read on! And thanks for the review!**

 **Masteroftime: Yeah, I was tossing up having Heather as the mean sexy girl, or Riley/Ruffnut, and I chose Riley. And yeah, I never even realized the rich millionaire never gave his name to Henry. But his name isn't important, just his cash. LOL. I can't wait to put Henry into High School either! I mean, I am so pumped! Funny and awesome stuff will go down. :)**

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 **All right! Thankee, all of you! Read on!**

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 **Catch you next time!  
NatB.**


	9. Welcome to High School!

**OK, I have got over 200 follows! Woweee! All right, here is Chapter nine, in which our Henry moves up to Anchorage and start his first eventful day of school! I had loads of fun with this chapter, and as always, I hope you all like it. And also, I have a sad announcement to make. Here we go:**

 **NO MORE UPDATES ON THIS STORY FOR ABOUT A MONTH.**

 **So sorry, everyone, but there will be no more updates on this story at least until after March 1, and most likely more. :(**  
 **Reason why is I'm getting my own taste of Henry Haddock's old life! I am leaving the comforts of my Anchorage home and heading out to Northwest Alaska to go MOOSE HUNTING for a week or maybe two! Ha ha! This will be so fun. And if I get an albino, you ALL owe me a million bucks. LOL. Seriously, that would be the craziest chance in the world. Actually, according to my friend Odael, my chances of getting an albino bull in twelve hours of Alaskan hunting are approximately 0.00000042064508%. (And yes, he did the math, don't ask me why).**  
 **So yes, I'm really, REALLY sorry, but I'll be too busy and will be probably be completely without internet for the entirety of my trip. Instead I'll be flying in a small plane, snow machining, shooting moose, and getting really cold. LOL.**  
 **So it's not for lack of desire that I put this story on hold, be assured of that! As soon as I get back I will pitch in twice as hard, I promise, and my temporary disappearance from FanFiction will not be for forever!**

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 **OK! Reviews to take care of now. And there's a lot of them, so I will put them at the end of the chapter so that they don't clog up the story. If you reviewed, look down there for my replies!**

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 ***FOUR MONTHS LATER***

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With a rattle of chains, Henry Haddock place his last beaver trap on the hook and stepped back. Surveying his work, he sighed deeply. Every single one of his traps were now out of the forest and hanging neatly from the rafters in his cabin. Seeing each one of them hanging, their steel jaws glistening in the evening sun, made Henry sad.

"You comin, kid?"

Gobber stepped through the doorway and into the empty living room of Henry's cabin. The furniture was all cleared out, and had been replaced by old piles of cord, rope, and timeworn snares. Boxes of rifle ammunition were stacked against one wall, and firewood against the other. The traps hanging from the ceiling completed the picture of an abandoned trapping outpost.

Henry bit his lip as his stepdad spoke.

"Henry?" Gobber asked uncertainly.

"Yea, Gobber," Henry said quietly, fingering his trap. "I'll be coming in a minute or two."

Gobber stepped up to Henry's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter, kid?" He asked kindly.

"Oh, I don't know, Gobber," Henry said slowly, taking his hand off the warm metal of the device. "I mean, just looking at all this, unused, makes me sad. Fifty of the best, most reliable traps, all right in front of me. They served me well. All those years of being out in the wild, trapping and hunting and fishing to stay alive, it's all done." Henry paused. "I'm glad, but at the same time I'll – I'll miss it."

He turned and looked at Gobber, and then his somber expression faded. A grin came across his lips. "But whatever. Let's go."

"That's the spirit!" Gobber laughed, throwing his arm around Henry.

Together the two retired trappers walked out the door and closed it, sliding the wooden bolt into place. Toothless, in all his black magnificence, bounded up to them from around the back, ready to leave. He had given up his lofty position of Alpha in the wolfpack, and had passed the authority on to the next strongest male. Henry had noted this, but Toothless didn't seem to mind.

After a quick walk through the trees, the trio found themselves on the road, on which sat a brand new black sports car, a shiny corvette. With a grin, Henry gestured to it.

"What do you think, Gobber?" He asked, as Toothless went and began to sniff around the vehicle.

Gobber looked uneasy. "Truth be told, kid, I've never really liked drivin in cars," he said cautiously. "Are ya sure ya kin manage ta drive thet thing?"

"Oh, pshaw, Gobber," Henry laughed, walking around to the driver's seat and pulling out his keys. I went and took a driver's training course and then I passed the test at the FDMV, too. I'm fully qualified." Henry pointed his keys at the car. "And check this out, Gobber." He pressed the 'unlock' button on his car keys, and the car lit up and beeped. Gobber laughed.

"I've seen that before, kid."

"Well, it's fun," Henry grinned, and hit the unlock button three more times while letting Toothless climb in the back. Reaching for his handle, Henry swung into the driver's seat. Gobber and his peg leg eased himself into the passenger's seat with a groan.

"You alright, Gobber?" Henry asked, looking over at his stepdad as he put his keys in the ignition.

"Yeah, kid," Gobber muttered. "I'm just not as young as I once was."

Henry was about to speak, then checked himself. Then he nodded, and turned the car key. Gobber spoke again.

"You said the FDMV, kid, when ya were talkin bout passin yer drivers test. Back in ma day, it was jist called the DMV, ya know, for Division of Motor Vehicles or some shit like that. Did they change the name ta Federal Division of Motor Vehicles?"

Henry chuckled. "No, Gobber they didn't change shit. I added the 'F' at the front myself. It stands for _Fucking_ Division of Motor Vehicles."

Gobber laughed. "Jeez, kid, why da ya hate the place so much?"

"Because the lines are long as hell and it takes FOREVER to get shit done," Henry replied, putting the car in drive and pulling away on the dirt road. "I seriously waited for a whole hour to get my license, and then another full hour to get my motorcycles license. Just to get a silly picture taken and pasted on a bloody card. I mean, come on."

Gobber laughed. "Maybe I should git a license, too."

"You probably should," Henry agreed, looking over at Gobber. "In the city it'll be easier to drive everywhere, and while I'm not exactly a saint in the law-abiding-citizen department, it would be easier if you didn't drive without a license. They may confiscate my car, and I'll have to come and bail you out of jail."

Gobber laughed. "All right, kid, I'll git a license. And for the love of Thor, keep yer eyes on the road!"

Henry, with a grin, noted that he was driving just fine. "Come on, Gobber, just because I'm new to this doesn't mean I'll be sending us flying out the windshield," he joked. "And if you want to feel safer in here, I suggest you put your seatbelt on."

"Oh," Gobber muttered. He reached over his shoulder and tried to find out how to work the device. "Uhh, how does this thing work, kid?" he asked.

Hiccup laughed. "You take that metal thing and put it in the little slot next to the red button," he explained. He put a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing.

"What's so funny?" Gobber glowered, as the seat belt clicked into place.

Henry just shook his head, a grin plaster on his freckled face. "Come on, Gobber, you didn't know how to fasten a damn seatbelt?" he laughed.

"Yeah!" Gobber snapped. "What about it?"

Henry just shook his head, but muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Gobber to hear, "Moron."

"What'd ya call me?" Gobber growled. "A moron! I'll moron you, you little piece of -"

Henry leaned back with his hands on the wheel and laughed and laughed. In a few minutes the car rolled out onto the paved highway and Henry hit the gas. The car zoomed down the Kalifornsky Beach Road on their way to Anchorage.

"You know, Gobber," Henry said, after a short silence, "I'm a little behind schedule. In the long run, I mean. I'm starting High School tomorrow, as a junior. At least, that's what the school people I talked to told me. That means I'll have only two years to take a few courses and get the hell out. Two years," Henry said grimly. "I should have been in school back when I was five or something. Now here I am, a sixteen year old kid who can fend for himself, and only NOW do I get to start."

Gobber sighed. "I understand, kid. You've bin cheated outta a normal life, but hey, you've still got two years. Stop gripin and enjoy yerself. When does school start?"

"Well, it already started, actually," Henry said. "It began August 20th, this week. I was kind of late, getting all my stuff taken care of, and the school knows I'll be there by tomorrow. I talked to the principal of the school on the phone. It should be fine."

Gobber frowned and looked at the clock on the dashboard. "Umm, it's pretty late, Henry, and it's a long ass drive ta Anchorage. Pretty much the first thing yer gonna have ta do is go ta school as soon as we get ta yer new place."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Henry asked. "It's not like the house I've got is new to me. I've already got everything set up in it. It's a small one with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Cheap but pretty nice. And it's got a TV." Henry laughed. "A TV! I've never owned a TV before."

"Well, nothin's wrong with showing up in Anchorage late, I guess." Gobber grunted. "But you might be a little tired fer school in the mornin."

Henry shrugged. "I'll manage. I've been out for weeks on end in the wild before, and I've been woken up by foxes and lynx and only gotten a few hours of sleep. I think I can handle a day of school just fine, even if I'm a little short on slumber."

Gobber frowned. "If ya say so, kid. And speakin of the wild, how's that injured arm a yers comin along?" He gestured to Henry's forearm, the one that had been bitten by the dog.

"Oh, it nothing," Henry said, lifting the arm off the steering wheel for an instant. "You know, I did go see the doctor about it, just because Ned said I should. The way the nurse freaked out when she saw the thing you'd have thought I had a fucking sword stuck through my chest."

Henry laughed. "I mean, these people are all pussies, Gobber. They were all like, 'Oh my God, he got bitten by a dog! He's diseased!'" Henry laughed again. "Geez, what's a dog bite to a guy with any stomach at all? This one was actually pretty bad, though. The doctor said it got almost to the bone." Henry shook his head. "Bloodhounds are pretty savage."

Gobber nodded. "And Toothless took down two of em, huh?"

Henry grinned, and reached one hand into the back seat to get licked by his furry friend. "You bet," he said. "Even after he got carved up by the bear, he still kicked the dog's asses."

"What's the story with that bear, anyway?" Gobber asked.

"Oh, yeah," Henry chuckled. "Well, Fish and Game and the stupid authorities for the State of Alaska should have listened to me when I warned them. They never even saw that big bear after they went into the woods after him two whole MONTHS ago. The Red Death got away clean, just like that." Henry snapped his fingers. "He just vanished completely, out of this area."

Gobber snorted. "Fish n Game can't do shit, cin they?"

"Nope," Henry sneered. "But hey, get this. After being gone for a few months, the Red Death turned up AGAIN, only ten miles away, in Kasilof. Some bloke saw him off the K-Beach road down there three days ago and got a picture of the thing to prove it. Now there's a damn squad of Wildlife Rangers tearing up the bushes in Kasilof, looking for him." Henry laughed. "And they'll fail again, without a doubt."

Gobber grinned. "Probably right."

"No 'probably' about it," Henry laughed. "Seriously, those guys in their cute little uniforms are all utterly useless. Hell, I hunted that bear for weeks, Gobber, and never even SAW him, let alone shot him. If I can't do it, I don't think anyone around here can."

"Cocky little bastard, aren't ya?" Gobber laughed.

Henry shrugged. "I'm serious, Gobber. No bragging about it, I'm the best hunter in the area."

Gobber shook his head. "Back in my day -"

"You were the best hunter in the _world_ , right," Henry laughed. "But not anymore." He patted his chest. "You were the best, Gobber, but now I fill that lofty position."

Gobber only shook his head as the shiny black corvette whizzed into the sunset, on its way to Anchorage.

* * *

 **NEXT MORNING**

* * *

Astrid sighed and grabbed her backpack, opening the door of her car and stepping out. Closing the door with a thud, she looked back at her mother, who had driven her to school.

"Have a good day, sweetie," Ingrid smiled, rolling down the window of the Prius.

"Yeah, yeah, mom," Astrid rolled her eyes. "You don't need to call me 'sweetie.'"

Ingrid laughed. "Yes, sweetie. Are you sure you like this school?" She looked up at the large building that was West High, the oldest school in Anchorage.

"I've told you a hundred times already mom, I really like it here," Astrid groaned. "The kids are great, except for this one jerk that won't leave me alone, and I've already earned a big reputation."

"Already?" Ingrid laughed. "You haven't even won any races yet. What happened?"

"Umm, nothing much," Astrid stammered. She hadn't told her parents about the party incident. "I just, umm, have a, err, 'connection' with the head cheerleader."

"Oh really!" Ingrid smiled. "Well, have fun today. And you know both me and your father are working this evening, so we can't come and pick you up."

"Right." Astrid waved it off. "I'll just get a ride with Heather or Callie or one of my friends. No problem."

"All right!" Ingrid said, rolling up her window. "Have a good day, sweetie!"

Astrid sighed. Sweetie sweetie sweetie. She was tired of that. With a shrug of her shoulders, she adjusted her backpack and walked up to the main entrance of West High School.

With waves and smiles at her newfound friends, Astrid grabbed the sun-warmed handle of the door and stepped inside the school, the door closing behind her. No sooner had she done so when a sensation occurred in the parking lot and diverted everyone's attention.

A black, cool-looking corvette had pulled in.

* * *

Henry had been in Anchorage before. He had actually been in Anchorage for a full week. During the four months since he had become a millionaire, he had bought a house, eaten at six different restaurants, and went to several car and motorcycle dealers. He had spent hours sitting in clean, orderly offices with an expensive great-fitting black suit and tie on, desperately trying to convince government and school district officials to allow him into High School without a previously recorded education. It had been a long and painful process which ended with Henry having to take a test and qualifying for High School in all areas. It had been rough, but thankfully, Henry pulled through, and had learned a valuable lesson in the meantime.

It sure helps being a millionaire.

This recollection was strong in Henry's mind as he pulled into the crowded parking lot at West High school, his sleek, menacing black corvette glistening in the sun. He immediately noticed the way students looked up from their cell phones and stared in awe and envy as his car swung past them. His sunglasses on, Henry grinned and looked around at all the attention he was getting. Money talks.

One thing he had guessed about school was accurate. There was a LOT of school buses. However, what he hadn't predicted was how many cars there were. Apparently a good deal of students chose to drive themselves to school. But Henry, despite seeing the sheer number of people and vehicles, wasn't too shocked. After all, he was driving himself; why shouldn't other people?

Seeing an empty parking space, he deftly turned the wheel of the corvette and glided into the space, his car sliding to a smooth halt on the concrete. With a deep breath, Henry inhaled, basking for a minute in the warm morning sun of late summer.

"First day of school," he muttered under his breath. "I should have had this day back when I was six, and now here I am, a millionaire before I'm a schoolkid." He grinned. "I wonder how badly I'll fuck up." He plowed his hands through his hair with another deep breath, trying to focus.

His sunglasses still on, her looked into the mirror of his car and saw a trio of pretty girls passing through the parking lot behind him. They all looked very surprised and they also all stopped to point and stare at his car.

Henry grinned as he saw them.

"Well, I may fuck up," he said, pulling the keys out of the ignition, "but I've sure started things off great." With a broad grin on his freckled face, he grabbed his backpack from the passenger's seat and stepped out of the car.

With a grin and a wave at the three girls, he closed the door and hit the lock button. The car beeped, and Henry grinned. Why did he like doing that so much?

Turning around with a grin still on his face, he found himself face to face with another girl. A black haired, dark eyed girl with long eyelashes, who had a cute smile on her face.

"Hi," she said.

Henry Haddock had been a hunter for ten years. In all that time he had had little contact with other people had had therefore acquired a very limited set of social skills. But throughout his brief encounter with civilization over the past few months he had learned one thing that helped when he was talking with other people, especially government and education officials. And that was be polite to everyone, especially girls.

So he whipped off his sunglasses.

"Hi there," he answered the girl confidently, sticking the sunglasses in his pocket and swinging his backpack over his shoulder. "How are you?"

The girl looked both surprised and excited. "Umm, yeah, thanks, I'm good." She smiled up at him. "Uhh, I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?" The black haired girl pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

Henry grinned. "I'm Henry Haddock, and yeah, I'm new here. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand. "What's your name, pretty?"

The girl appeared flustered, and she took his hand uncertainly. Henry could have sworn she reddened slightly at his use of 'pretty'. But he didn't really mind.

"I'm Heather," the girl smiled, shaking his hand.

"Heather," Henry said amiably. "It's a pleasure." He gestured to the school. "It was great to meet you, but if you don't mind, I've got to get in there, actually. Today's my first day here, and I need to get something called a – a locker and then a class schedule or some shit – stuff like that."

Henry had tried to check his language, but it just came out. When he had been negotiating with school people he had learned that cursing was a very BAD thing to do. But Heather didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, right," she answered, and then looked at Henry strangely. "Umm, sorry if this sounds rude, but do you NOT know what a locker is or something?"

Now it was Henry's turn to look sheepish. Lowering his gaze, he looked down at his hands. "Umm, no, I don't, exactly," he muttered. "I've never actually, uhh, been to school before." He looked back up at Heather, who was staring at him with her dark eyes like he was insane.

"What?" Heather asked.

"Uhh, I've never been to school before," Henry repeated.

"How old are you?!" Heather asked, shocked.

"Uhh, I'm now almost seventeen," Henry said.

"And you've NEVER been to school before?!" Heather was truly astounded.

"That's right," Henry said grimly. "No school."

Heather stared. "But – but – you're – why not, Henry?"

"Uhh, I was too poor," Henry said quietly. "I was an orphan and a hunter for ten years and had to fend for myself. I couldn't go to school, until I got a lucky break and became a millionaire." Henry shrugged. "So here I am, a Junior, coming to school for the first time, ready to embarrass myself." He looked at Heather again, still sheepishly.

Heather looked surprised for a few more seconds and then smiled.

"Ok. You're just kidding me now. You're a millionaire?"

Henry chuckled. "Yep. Multi-millionaire, actually."

Heather shook her head. "I don't believe you, Henry."

"Why not?" Henry laughed. "Doesn't the car look like it?"

Heather laughed. "OK, fine. Maybe I believe. That IS a sweet car." She gestured to the sleek corvette.

Henry beamed. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome."

Heather laughed. "You should take me for a ride sometime."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. But right now I've got to get in there and get a locker."

"Hey, I'll go with you," Heather suggested. "I know the school, I can get you pointed in the right direction."

Henry looked relieved. "Sure, that'd be great," he said. "Just stop me if I do anything stupid."

Heather laughed, grabbed her backpack, and the two walked up to the doors of the school.

* * *

Astrid reached her locker with a sigh. Twirling her combo, she opened the metal door and picked up her books. Glancing around, she didn't see Heather, who had the locker right next to her. She had only been at school for a week, but she was usually there at this time.

"How are you doing, Astrid?" Callie Johnson, the girl who sat next to Astrid in English, walked up.

"Uggh, fine," Astrid said, shaking her hair over her shoulders. "Rough week, and I'm really not in a good mood at all."

Callie nodded sympathetically. "Are you looking forward to another day of notoriety, Astrid?" she grinned.

"Absolutely not," Astrid grimaced. "Geez, Fishlegs was absolutely right when he told me four months ago that knocking out Riley would cause such an uproar. He even got my new name accurate. I've been called 'Riley-basher' by like a hundred people in just the first four days of school. Even coach Daniel in gym class calls me that, right in front of Riley."

Callie spread her hands. "Coach Daniel just likes to joke around," she said.

"Well, he can joke about something else," Astrid sighed. "I kind of feel bad for knocking Riley out, actually. I was in a bad mood and I think she was drunk. But she did deserve it, and she really shouldn't have gotten knocked out after only one punch. I mean, I didn't hit her that hard, she shouldn't have gotten bashed to Wonderland."

Callie chuckled. "Not true, Astrid. I saw the video that people took of that fight, Astrid. Don't act weak all of a sudden. That wasn't no ordinary girl's punch, there. You hit her hard enough to knock out an elephant."

Astrid laughed. "Oh well," she said. "It sure worked to get me known, though. Half the boys around here all are dragging my phone number out of me and half the girls, at least all the freshmen, are leaving me alone for fear I'm going to stab them or something."

Callie laughed, a sweet smooth laugh that Astrid liked. "They'll get used to you. If you don't start hitting people, that is."

"I have no intention of hitting anybody else," Astrid sighed. "But if Riley tries to tell me what to do again, I'll be more than happy to give her another knuckle sandwich."

Callie smiled and put her arm around Astrid's shoulder. "All right, forget it. Let's go to class."

"Actually, I have to go see the principal first," Astrid said. "Apparently there's an issue with my old school records from Louisiana, and I have to go see Mr. Pebble to get it straightened out. In fact, I'd better step on it if I want to get to class on time."

"Oh." Callie was sympathetic. "I really don't like Mr. Oldman. He's too uptight all the time. He needs to relax a little more, and my Goodness, what is that noise?"

From somewhere in the side halls people were chanting, "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!"

"Oh cool!" Callie shouted. She grabbed Astrid's sleeve. "Come on, let's go watch!"

"Oh, pshaw," Astrid groaned, rolling her eyes. "If I show up at the fight, they'll think I want to jump in and help, for crying aloud. Go on, Callie, go watch. I'll see you in English class."

Callie Johnson was not the girl to stay still when there was excitement going on. She said, "Right, see you, Astrid!" And bounded off down the hall. Astrid, shaking her head as she heard someone yell, 'you little fucker!' turned to go to the principal's office.

* * *

"All right, so this is my class schedule, apparently," Henry said, brandishing a piece of paper in front of Heather, who took it to examine it. "And my locker number is 3456. Huh. Three, Four, Five, Six. Four numbers right in a row. That's cool."

Heather shook her head as the two students pushed their way through the sea of people in the main hallway of the school. "Well, your locker number is cool, but your class schedule is pretty lousy," she said. "You've got good classes, I guess, but I'm only with you in 1st period English."

"A shame," Henry muttered. Heather led him down to a side hall, where students were milling about their lockers and talking.

"But," Heather perked up, "you're in three classes with Callie and Astrid, including English."

Henry, his head down over his papers, looked up slowly. "What's that?" he asked. "Did you say Astrid?"

Heather looked surprised. "Yeah. She's one of my best friends. Do you know her?" She asked.

Henry frowned. "I don't know. I just – that name rings a bell. I could have sworn I've heard it before, somewhere."

Heather nodded. "You might have. She's often all over the local news. And here is your locker."

Henry's thoughts were jerked away from the name Astrid as he and Heather arrived at locker number 3456. It was nothing but an ordinary metal locker with dull brown paint, but to Henry it looked fabulous. After all, it was the first locker he had ever had.

Reaching for the dial, Henry looked at his combination, which was on the paper assigned him by the school, and opened the locker. It was empty, of course, and Henry took off his backpack to unload some supplies.

"Well, there it is," Henry grinned, gesturing to the empty locker and unzipping a pouch. "My first school locker. Another milestone for a guy like me."

Heather chuckled, leaning on the open door of the locker. "Your locker's in a good spot," she commented. "I mean, this is where a lot of the football players and cool guys have their lockers. I think you'll fit right in with them – the cool kids, I mean."

Henry looked embarrassed, and finished unpacking his gear.

"Uhh, thanks, Heather," he said. "And thanks for helping me out, too. I'd have been hopelessly lost in this place if you hadn't given me a hand."

Heather waved it off. "Whatever. It was nothing, Henry."

"Hey, were you serious about getting a ride in my car?" Henry asked with a grin, leaning up on the lockers next to Heather.

Heather reddened. "Well, err, that would be nice," she smiled. Her dark eyes flashed at Henry excitedly. "Like I said, it's a cool car."

"Thanks," Henry answered. "Maybe I can take you out on the weekend or something."

Heather smiled. "That's be awesome," she said. "And look, Henry, were you serious about being a millionaire?"

Henry grinned, turning to zip up his backpack.

"Maybe," he said. "Let's just say that money is the only way a kid can go from shooting animals for a living to driving a corvette."

He was interrupted by a crowd of boisterous teens walking through the area. Their talking seemed to penetrate everyone else's, as if the presence of the people approaching commanded authority. As if by magic, the hallway cleared for the group, and Henry looked up from his work at a tall, broad, black haired boy with a tight tee-shirt that showed his thick muscles, who was leading the squad.

The boy was joking with his cronies, and he stopped almost directly across the hall from Hiccup, at his own locker. Reaching over, the big boy swiped the hat off a young freshman boy who was standing by his locker reading a book.

"Hey!" The freshman, who was both small and skinny, looked up angrily, but his expression turned from anger to fear as soon as he saw the person in front of him. The big, dark haired boy took the younger kid's hat and threw it away down the hall with a grin on his face.

"Go fetch, kid," he smirked. "Get away from my locker."

Henry stared in surprise.

"Who's that jerk?" He demanded, gesturing to the bully and turning to Heather.

Heather's eyebrows went up as she saw who Henry was referring to. "That's Scott Jorgenson," she answered. "He's the big name around here. Hotshot, football quarterback, dates all the hot girls, he's a stud." She looked up at Henry. "He's also pretty violent, so I wouldn't call him any names in his hearing if I were you."

"He's an asshole." Henry stated this fact flatly. "Look at him. He's tormenting that poor kid."

Even as Henry spoke, Scott stole the kid's book from him and spat on it, staining the cover. Henry's scowl deepened and his fists tightened.

"I've half a mind to go over there and kick his ass," he growled.

"What?!" Heather was stunned. "Henry, are you crazy? Look at that guy." She gestured to Scott's bulging muscles and leering face. "He'd destroy you in a fight."

"I'd like to see him try," Henry said stonily. He was staring at Scott and the young kid, who looked like he was about to burst into tears. Scott had taken his book from him and was now beginning to tear out the pages.

That was the last straw for Henry.

"I'm going to teach that dickhead a lesson," he snarled, gazing in disgust at Scott. "Hold this." Handing his backpack to Heather, Henry slammed his locker shut and took a step towards Scott. Heather grabbed his arm.

"No, Henry!" She said urgently, tugging on the sleeve of his camouflage coat. "You told me to stop you if you were about to do something stupid. Well, you're doing it! If you get into a fight in the school, you'll get detention or something worse!"

Henry immediately stopped as soon as Heather mentioned 'detention.' He turned around and looked deeply concerned.

"What's detention?" he asked, a curious fear in his voice. "How bad is it? What'll happen to me if I get detention?"

"Oh for the love of -" Heather threw her hands up in exasperation. "In detention, you're – well, detained. You get taken to the principal's office and she assigns you some hard community service or something like that. Sometimes the cops get involved. It's bad. Just don't fight him, you fool!"

Henry gawked. "That's IT?!" he exploded, shaking Heather's hand off his arm. "I thought detention was like getting kicked out of school or something terrible. For God's sake, that's nothing." Henry's look of disgust turned back into anger, and he turned back around to look at Scott, still speaking to Heather. "So I AM going to kick his ass. Right now. I'll be right back."

"Henry, he's the quarterback!" Heather pleaded. "He'll murder you!"

But Henry didn't hear. He simply stepped across the hall, grabbed Scott Jorgenson's sleeve, and threw him against the lockers with a crash. Pages torn from the book scattered.

The hallway froze. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the noise. Scott was standing with his back to the lockers, a look of shock on his broad, handsome face. He was truly astonished. Standing in front of him was a well-built boy with shaggy brown hair and angry green eyes. He wore a black shirt underneath a green camouflage jacket that looked old and weather-worn. Good-fitting blue jeans finished the picture. This boy looked seriously annoyed, but Scott, realizing that the entire hallway was staring at him and that his reputation was at stake, straightened up and blustered angrily at the smaller, angry boy in front of him.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, you little turd?" Scott barked furiously.

Henry grinned savagely, and with a twist of his arm, wrenched the younger kid's book from Scott's thick, strong hands. He tossed it back to the kid and then spoke to Scott.

"I think I'm a guy who's going to kick your ass, you lout," he replied.

The hallway all gaped and stared, making noises of disbelief. A crowd of students began to gather, stunned that someone had the guts to stand up to Scott. Scott Jorgenson was the most surprised person in the group.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" He asked, astounded at Henry's audacity.

"Other than a first-rate dickhead, no." Henry was cool but harsh. "Seriously, what the hell is the matter with you? Taking a kid's book from him and tearing it apart? Dude, NOT cool."

Scott Jorgenson was angry. He took a threatening step forward.

"No one talks to me like that," he spat, clenching his fists. "You're new here, apparently. I'm going to teach you your place." He took another step forward, so that he leaned down and spoke right to Henry's face. "I think I'm going to kill you, you little shit."

Henry smiled, his face only a few inches from Scott's.

"I think you're going to be awfully disappointed about that," he whispered.

Henry was expecting Scott to step back and double up his fists, like a traditional one-on-one fight. But Henry was wrong, and it cost him. Instead of waiting, Scott struck immediately and hard, catching Henry completely off guard. Scott's right fist swung up and crashed against Henry's left cheek and eye socket, sending him flying backwards across the hall and into Heather's arms. Heather grabbed him and held him upright to steady him, while the crowd of students roared in approval, ready to observe a good contest.

"FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" They all chanted.

Scott thought that he had already won. Usually one punch from his strong, beefy arms was enough to make a kid hurt badly enough to not come to school for a week. But Henry, while slightly dazed, wasn't at all beaten. Taking his weight off Heather, he merely rolled his shoulders and smiled.

"You know," he said casually, "If there was a school designed to teach people how to hit like a _pussy_ , you'd be the damn principal."

The crowd of students roared with laughter, the noise echoing down the halls. Scott reddened in anger.

"You little fucker!" He roared for the second time, and swung at Henry with both fists. This time, Henry was ready for it. Spinning around and ducking, he came up under Scott's wild punches and slammed a vicious uppercut into Scott's jaw. The force of the punch hurled Scott into the lockers once more. There was a boom as his heavy figure struck the metal, and the crowd of students gasped in awe. Cell phones were all over, filming the fight.

Henry didn't wait for Scott to recuperate, and instead, he pressed the attack. Leaping forward, he fired two solid straights at Scott's face.

Here Scott's fighting experience and reflexes saved him. Hurting as he was from Henry's first punch, he managed to jerk his head to the right and evade Henry's onslaught. Henry's fists missed Scott's face and crashed into the lockers, each punch denting the metal. Scott rolled away from the lockers and regained his feet, and the two boys circled each other, eyes glaring.

Scott was wary now. He had severely underestimated this short, lean kid with the dangerous green eyes. Now he mentally berated himself for not noticing this guy was a born fighter. He had the camouflage sleeves of his jacket rolled up, and by that Scott could see that his hands and wrists were scarred and rough. The boy even had an ugly looking dog bite on his left forearm, near the elbow. It looked like the boy had used his hands for hard fighting, and often.

Henry attacked again. This time Scott was completely fooled by Henry's clever approach. Henry's first punch was a fake to the left, and Scott immediately shifted his stance to block it. Anticipating the move, Henry swung his other hand around in a tight arc and thudded Scott brutally in the stomach. Scott grunted in pain as the blow hit home, but his strong, taut core kept his breath in him. However, Henry hadn't stopped there. After the blow to the gut, he whipped his other fist back around and into Scott's nose. It struck home.

Blood sprayed like a water fountain, and Scott, uttering a cry of pain, staggered backward, reaching for his nose. Henry mercilessly batted Scott's hand down and punched him again, once more in the nose. Scott howled in agony as the crowd of students heard a sickening crack.

Henry had broken Scott's nose.

Blood gushing, Scott collapsed for a third and final time against the lockers, as the crowd of students cheered and shouted. Scott slid down the wall and fell on his bottom, groaning and holding his face, which was pouring blood.

Henry most likely would have grabbed Scott's collar and dragged him back to his feet so that Henry could plug him again, but at that moment, the fight was interrupted. The nearest hall monitor, late on the scene as usual, finally arrived to break up the battle. He pushed bodily through the circle of kids. Taking a quick look at the prospect, he stepped forward and grabbed Henry's arm.

"You, sir, step back," he commanded in an authoritative tone, placing a firm hand against Henry's chest.

Several other hall monitors were racing to the area, and the crowd of students scattered. The hall monitor that had Henry took a stern glance at Scott, who was still moaning and holding his nose, and then back at Henry.

"We are going to the principal's office," he stated icily.

* * *

Astrid, opening the door which said 'Teacher Offices' stepped into a small waiting room that stood before a door marked 'Principal Oldman.' She took a step forward and reached for the handle.

"Umm, miss," the secretary called, from her desk off to the right. "Mr. Pebble is busy. You'll have to wait."

"Oh, no," Astrid groaned, turning to look at the secretary. "But I'm going to be late."

"Well, I'm sure Mr. Oldman will give you a tardy pass for your class," the secretary reassured her. She then ignored Astrid and returned to her work. "Have a seat, miss. It may take a while."

Astrid couldn't care less about being in class on time. But first period English was the only period where she sat with both of her best friends, and any time taken out of that segment was a loss to her, especially when it was wasted talking to the principal about some school system screw-up that wasn't even her fault. So she sighed and sat down on the nearest chair, gazing absentmindedly at pictures and posters on the walls and forming opinions of each one. One, she noticed with amusement, was a photo of the girls Cross Country Running team, with the caption, 'State Runner Ups 2015.'

Astrid smiled. Maybe with her on the team, they could shift that caption to something like; 'Regional and State Champions 2016.' She liked the sound of that.

Shifting her gaze to the next poster, she noted with amusement that next Monday was 'Bring your Pet to School Day.' Astrid shook her head. Those were always a fiasco. Bad idea. She wouldn't bring her dog, Stormy.

As she was contemplating this, she heard voices outside in the hallway. She perked up her ears. Students were already in class by now, and anyone left out there would be odd, unless they were like her and had random business with the principal, which wasn't likely. The voices came through the glass door.

"All right, Mr. Fist Happy, you just go in there and wait for Mr. Oldman to talk with you." Astrid recognized the voice as one of the hall monitors. She was now actually fairly interested. This was probably one of the people in the fight that had just occurred. She tried to guess who it had been. Probably Tuff Thorston. He was always getting into trouble.

However, the bored, drawling voice that replied was definitely NOT Tommy Thorston. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Astrid couldn't place it.

"Aww, stow the tough talk," the voice said calmly. "My fists aren't happy. They just do what they're told, don't go blaming them. You're making them feel bad, actually. They're upset."

"I don't want to hear any more of your sarcastic backtalk," the hall monitor snapped. "Get in that door, sonny."

The handle of the door clicked, and Astrid looked up from her chair as the culprit, aided by a push from the hall monitor, entered. The door closed behind him.

"Yes sir," the boy replied to the hall monitor, turning around and looking back through the glass panel of the door. Astrid, because of the angle, couldn't see his face, but the camouflage coat and long brown hair looked familiar, somehow. The boy gave a joking salute to the hall monitor, and then turned, his face still shielded, and sat in the chair opposite Astrid. A grin on his face, he finally looked up at her.

His green eyes met Astrid's blue ones, and both pairs widened in shock. Astrid stared.

She had seen those eyes before.

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGER! HA HA! Don't yell at me for too long, though, please! They did meet each other, after all! In the principals office, of all places! LOL. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one, but like I said above, it won't be for about a month due to the fact that I'm going hunting. I'm going to tap into my inner Henry Haddock. :) So I almost feel bad about making you wait another chapter for Hiccstrid – almost.**

 **Shoot me a review, please! What do you think of Henry and Scott? How was it?**

 **And Henry's car is the 2015 corvette stingray, in black. Go look it up. It's awesome.**

 **Love ya'll, and see you when I get back from my trip,** **NatB.**

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 **Reviewers:**

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 **skyred89: Yeah, I guess I felt like chapter eight was a filler because it was basically just Henry getting his millions and finalizing his encounter with those three mean hunters. I guess it did have its cool stuff here and there. Here you are, here's what's in store for you now. Thanks for the review!**

 **Dark Ghost coc: I crept out of the closet for a few minutes to get this finished, while glancing around nervously the whole time. LOL. #TooScaredToWrite**

 **One-Crazed-Up-Dragon: Thanks you so much! But there's some other good ones out there that you should take a look at. Try White Oaks by Funkytoes. It's good if you like both ghosts and HTTYD, which I do! But regardless, I am so glad you like mine! Your wait is over! :)**

 **Foster117: You must be on a different time zone than me, then. I think I put chapter eight out at like six or seven PM here in Alaska. Your family hates me?! Wahhhaaa! I didn't want to make anyone mad! LOL. As for your suggestion, that was actually an idea I was thinking about earlier, but I decided to discard it for other plans. What really happened involving the Red Death is slightly described in this chapter. But thanks a lot for the idea! It was a really good one that I definitely would have considered using if I hadn't already decided what's happening in that regard. What I really want an idea for is the first time Henry takes Astrid out hunting with him and Toothless. Can you come up with something (preferably funny) for me? :)**

 **Dilogyps: First of all, that is a very weird name you have. Does it mean something cool? Or is it the name of a dinosaur? I like it. Anyway, I felt like it was a filler while writing the most recent chapter because it didn't really start anything new, just sorta closed out the money and mean hunter issues. I'm glad you like it, and I'm also glad that you think my updates are moving at a decent pace. However, as I mentioned above, I will be leaving for a while without access to a computer and there will be no updates on any of my stories for at least a week after February 23. Sorry my updates will be delayed. :(**

 **GreenBlueCat: Henry can be a nice guy when other people are nice to him. :) And homesickness – hmm, I never thought of that. But I'll take care of it by making him wear his old camouflage coat around, and the fact that he constantly takes walks in the woods to bring back the old feels. And of course, he moves all his animal trophies and carpet furs up to his new house, so that's another thing. Yeah, I'm pumped for the next few chapters – it's getting MORE interesting for me, too! Thanks so much, GreenBlueCat!**

 **Ilikecartoonsandzombies: All right, wait is temporarily over for you. As I mentioned above, next chapter will take a while to appear, so sorry about that. But thanks for dropping off a review, Zombie Lover. :)**

 **Guest1: Yes, but I guess I just feel bad for putting 'romance' on the title and not putting any in until Chapter 10, which it will be, apparently. Although I guess they did meet up in the first two chapters, so there's that. Anyway, I'm glad you like my pacing, and I hope the meeting will seem as special as you expect! Thank you!**

 **Guest2: YESS! Hiccup/Henry has gotten his money and is moving out. I'm pumped. And the injuries he got have been sealed up good. Life's perfect for Henry right now – the only thing he's missing is a girlfriend! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest3: I shall stick to it until it's done, hopefully! As I said above, I may not be able to post again for a while, but I assure you I will be back eventually with the next Chapter. Thank you for the review, look for next chapter in about a month.**

 **Mark Andrew: I'm evil, aren't I? You'll probably hate me more after the end of this Chapter. And yeah, Henry WON'T be getting anything too expensive, especially a giant house or something stupid like that. His is pretty small. But he can't help NOT getting a badass car, can he? :) And I wouldn't want to meet the Red Death either! LOL.**

 **Crofty666: Yeah, if the Red Death was so bent on revenge that he wanted to hunt Henry down, he probably could. But I am skeptical that Henry could be tracked to Anchorage for four reasons. One, as an Alaskan myself and knowing the layout of Soldotna and the area that the Red Death was in, I think it's highly unlikely that any bear would go so close to civilization to hunt a person when he needs other food and has the danger of being shot. Second, he's now being hunted by Fish and Game, and he's being pursued in the opposite direction that Henry is moving to. Third, Henry now lives in a larger city, and the Red Death actually physically going into the city to look for Henry is a bit extreme. And finally, when Henry moves away from the Red Death in a car, the bear has no way to track Henry at all, so his paws are tied. So yeah, as cool as it would be to have the Red Death running down Henry, it won't happen - yet. But still, it would have been cool. Anyway, thanks for the review, and for the very interesting note on bears, Crofty666. I didn't know how far they travelled. Now I do.**

 **KupcakeKrazed101: Millionaire Henry and sports star Astrid will be SOOO much fun! Thanks for the review, and I like the name you have. It's pretty funny, KrazyKupKake!**

 **Sonochu: Hey, I love/hate criticism, but if you have some for other chapters, then send it my way! I like hearing honest analyses of the story more than just the usual 'I love this!' Almost. ;) Anyway, about the hunters in chapter six, and then again in chapter eight – Ok, those hunters were just utter and complete assholes. Henry could have possibly negotiated with them when he first met them, but the fact did remain that time was a little short, with an enraged bear hot on his trail. I did take away pretty much all their humanity, but that was the intent. I wanted to have some just-plain-old BAD guys. You're right, if they had been smart and halfway decent they should have made a deal with Henry, but I made them too selfish and mean to even do that. Badguys are just badguys, I guess. However, thanks for the review, as always!**

 **Angryhenry: Hey, I just realized you've got the same name as the main character in here! And Henry does get angry a lot of times, so I guess you could argue that you appear in this story! LOL. Anyway, I'm really glad you like my version of Gobber. I tried to think of what the Viking from the movie would be like in a rural Alaskan setting, and I came up with a trash-talking, beer-drinking funny guy, but whose heart is in the right place. Thanks so much for the review, bro.**

 **Eigomi: So glad you like it! I am continuing, but like I said above, next chapter will probably come a month from now or so. Sorry. :( But thanks for the review!**

 **TidePoolAngel: Yeah, he's both lucky and plucky. I would never have been able to go through what Henry went through, even for a million bucks. But whatever! He's rich, no more worries! LOL. Thanks for the review, Angel.**

 **TypicalHyphen24: I hope it's a good kind of giddy! LOL. Anyway, I totally love the Hiccstrid ship. I mean, not to the extent that some do, but I like it, nonetheless. And funnily enough, I don't know much about trapping either! I've only done a bit of it myself, but I know people who do a lot, so that's helped me write about it. And I love Toothless the Wolf, too. He's awesome, and I think he's the perfect animal to match the dragon from the movie. I mean, dogs can be both savage and cute, just like the movie's portrayal of Toothless. Cats are cool, too, but they're TOO cute and also too small. Dogs, or wolves, are perfect. :) Thanks so much for the review, TypicalHyphen.**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt: Hey, the name is the funniest that I've seen on the site so far! Be proud of it! I ALWAYS, without fail, laugh or grin when I see it. It's like a disease. I also like typing it, too. I'm going to do it again, just for fun. Lady Kick Your Butt. There. That was fun. :) Yeah, the scene in the bank, I was trying to think of how I could make the scene a little more descriptive, and I was like 'well, what are the people around him doing?' and then I was like 'They're filming with their cell phones, of course!' LOL. And the ridicule of the Fish and Game people was fun to write, too. Just to make it clear, though, I have no personal dislike of Fish and Game. Only Henry does. (I should add that disclaimer at the start of that chapter). Anyway, thanks for the review, (I'm going to type it again) Lady Kick Your Butt!**

 **Ryder-Hunter: Well, Henry's going to leave the Red Death alone – for now. Maybe he'll reappear later. And Astrid and Hiccup are coming up! :) Ha ha.**

 **Unbreakable Warrior: Thankee Thankee!**

 **AndJrew76: Definitely not! Yeah, a guy who's worked his whole life treating money as a sacred thing would never waste it or squander it stupidly, at least, in my opinion. Regardless, Henry DEFINTIELY won't. He buys some stuff, obviously, but wasting it on useless junk and things like that are completely OFF the table. Absolutely. And I have considered having him lose the money, actually. I will say that I'm NOT planning to have it happen right now, but it may later – if I can think of an idea that fits with my general plot. And don't be ashamed at all to say that about Henry and his money! I think having that happen would be completely out of Henry's character and it could botch the whole story. So I'm not just taking your thoughts as suggestions; I'm taking them as LAW! LOL. Thanks for the great review, man.**

 **Hunter: Suuuuuussssssshhhh! LOL. But yeah, that's DEFINITELY a crime up here in Alaska, too. All three of those things, especially taking the moose without a tag, would NEVER fly without some major fines and maybe even jail time. But I ignored that aspect to avoid the hassle of having to write about how Henry manages to buy tags and stuff. Maybe I will have him have to cough up some of that dough to pay some court fees, later. :) Thanks for the review, and the suggestion.**

 **tjjenkins: I'm glad you find the story satisfying! Thank you!**

 **HeartAngel1796: Already replied, but once more, thank you for the review, and wanted to let you know your wait is over! :)**

 **PuppeteerOllie (all reviews): Yeah, I think I got that dialogue in Chapter three really well done, if I do say so myself. Gobber's so funny, and mixing him with Henry, beer, and foul language added to it. And The Revenant is actually kind of similar to this, with the bear scene. But the Red Death is bigger than the bear that showed up in the film, which was pretty good, I thought. DiCaprio earned that Oscar, I think. But I also think that the Revenant isn't really about the plot, it's about what one man is willing to endure to win an Oscar. LOL. Anyway, I'm flattered that you think this story is worthy of the TV screen! Thank you so much, Puppeteer!**

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 **All right, WHEW! That took me over an hour to reply to all those! Almost 2000 words. I'm happy I got so many reviews! Keep them coming!**

* * *

 **NatB.**


	10. Oh It's You!

**HEY! I'm back!  
Holy Thor, my trip was SOOOO much fun! I did everything a real Alaskan badass does. I got to run traplines, ice fish, hunt moose, trek through three-foot deep snow, fire twenty rounds of rifle bullets into targets, drive on ice roads, sleep on a couch where the dog thinks you are a new pillow, chop wood, build cool shit, and blast across the Yukon River on a snowmachine at almost 60mph! It was AWESOME!**

 **However, I did NOT get an albino bull moose with 60 inch antlers. I may be a hunter now, but I'm no Henry Haddock. LOL. I just got two, normal, 'nothing special about them' brown moose, and then spent three days with my arms elbows deep in meat cutting it all up to ship out. Enough chow to feed my giant family for at least a year, and that's not good, because I may not need to go back again! Boo hoo! :(**

 **I could go on and on about that SO COOL trip, but I will spare you the time and post this a little sooner instead. You're welcome. And I'm afraid to say now that updates will be slower in general. I am in the process of playing both HS baseball AND track, and apparently that means I spend five hours a day working my ass off and being really tired. (I'm running my first 800 meter tomorrow, so wish me luck). With school, that doesn't leave much time for writing, but I will keep at it and do my best, or my pal Odael will mock me relentlessly for not sticking to it. I can already hear him jeering and laughing. Yes, Odael, that is YOU. :)**

 **And Happy Late Saint Patrick's Day, all you readers! I'm Irish, too, so you all have to kiss me. LOL.**

 **Oh, yeah, and one more thing I want to clear up before I continue. Some of you(I won't mention names) have accused me of lying in Chapter eight's AN when I said that Henry/Hiccup and Astrid would meet in Chapter nine. Well, I would like to point out to you all that I did NOT lie. According to the dictionary, 'meet' means 'come into the presence or company of (someone) by chance or arrangement.' What happened in Chapter nine certainly qualifies, so you my honesty remains intact – for now. I just wanted to point that out to you all to justify that last cliffhanger I gave you.**

 **And… ONE more thing. First off, I applaud all you readers/reviewers who noticed the small detail that was the poster saying 'Bring Your Pet to School Day.' It's good to see I have attentive readers. :) Anyway, I am just announcing now that this event WILL be written about and it will be awesome!**

 **Hope you enjoy, as always, and I have replied to the reviews below again to save space. From now on I will try to answer you personally, since you deserve a lot more time than I give you. Thanks so much for the support so far, it's been absolutely terrific.**

 **Here you go! Chapter ten in all its NatB glory. Read on!**

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There was a moment of stunned silence as both Astrid and the boy stared. Then the green eyed boy straightened up in recognition.

"Hey, I know you," he grinned. "If it isn't Blondie."

Astrid's mouth parted.

"No – way," she laughed. "It's – it's Mr. Smartass."

"In the flesh." The green-eyed boy laughed. "Wow. I never would have guessed I'd see you around again Milady – Astrid."

"Hey!" Astrid was indignant. "How do you know my name?"

"Well, you signed a statement a few months ago saying I was a hero," the boy laughed. "Signing something _usually_ means writing down your name. Usually. Not always." His voice was dripping with playful sarcasm.

"Still a joker and a smartass, huh?" Astrid sighed. "But I thought you were telling the truth when you said you had never been to school. Don't tell me you were joking about _that_ , too."

"I'm surprised you even remembered the conversation we had, Milady," the boy grinned. "I thought a running superstar like you would have forgotten all about a loner like me."

"Well, when someone points a rifle at my chest, I tend to remember that," Astrid grinned. The boy laughed, his green eyes twinkling.

"I see you're picking up some of my sarcastic humor, Milady."

"Oh no."

"Be proud of yourself." The boy was grinning wide, and he winced as his split lip strained, but he ignored it. "Not many people can sound as awesome as me with sarcasm," he went on jokingly. "You're not AS good yet, Milady, but you're close."

Astrid shook her head, and pointed at his bloody lip.

"So, what is a lone ranger like you doing in the middle of Anchorage?" She asked. "Besides getting into fights, of course." She gestured to his face.

The boy looked embarrassed. He plowed a hand through his shaggy hair, which appeared to have been uncut since Astrid's last encounter with him.

"Hey, I'm just a fighter by nature," he said. "Being in the wild for so long makes you look at people as more of a threat than they really are. When that jerk picked on that poor kid back there, I had to do something; even if it meant kicking his ass. He's at the nurse's office now."

Astrid laughed. "It looks like you do a lot of fighting, Smartass. That scar on your chin wasn't there when I last saw you, and that was only a few months ago."

"Oh. Yeah." The boy reached up and touched his chin, realizing for the first time that a thin line of blood was dripping down it. He wiped it away with the back of his sleeve. "Well, that scar was a painful reminder that getting into a fight with a bear is _never_ a good idea."

"You fought a BEAR?" Astrid was shocked.

"Hey, I'm a hunter, Milady," the boy laughed. "Fighting bears is part of the job; sometimes, at least."

"I am really afraid to ask how you got so close to a bear to get a swipe across the chin," Astrid said. "You told me way back when that you should never walk around in the woods without a gun or something. Why didn't you shoot it?"

"What if I wasn't in the woods when it happened, though?" the boy teased.

"So the bear attacked you in the supermarket?" Astrid chuckled.

The boy nodded sadly. "That damn thing jumped right out of the Kung Fu Panda billboard and took a hack at me."

Astrid roared with laughter, slapping her knees. "OK, that was funny! Kung Fu Panda and his brutal savagery. Ha ha!" She laughed again.

"Well, all joking aside," the boy grinned, "I did have a gun and it was NOT in the supermarket. I put eleven rounds in the thing, but it didn't die, and just came at me and broke my gun, almost killed me, and knocked me into a river before chasing me for two miles."

Astrid laughed. "You're joking again."

The boy shook his head. "Actually, that was all completely true. I almost died of hypothermia and mauling, too, so don't laugh."

Astrid stared. "I really, REALLY don't know if I should believe you or not."

The boy laughed. "Well, it _was_ true."

"Well, Smartass, whether it was true or not, you're here, in Anchorage, and at school. How did you ever manage to get up here?"

The boy laughed. "Now THAT'S a story you'll never believe."

"Try me." Astrid leaned back with a smile. The boy sighed.

"Well, the long and short is that I earned five million dollars and now I can do whatever the hell I want."

Astrid gawked. "No way."

"Told you you wouldn't believe it." The boy was smug. "But come on? How else does an orphan in the Alaska wilderness manage to move to Anchorage, go to school, and have a sweet car?"

Astrid laughed. "Fair enough. What kind of car do you have?"

"A Corvette Stingray," the boy grinned. "How's that for proof, Blondie?"

"I haven't seen it yet," Astrid argued. "So technically it doesn't exist to me."

"I'll show it to you. I'll give you a ride in it. You good with that?" The boy had an eyebrow raised.

"Sure – I guess," Astrid stammered. "Just don't crash me into a light pole or something."

"You have so little faith in me, Milady," the boy sighed. "Haven't I saved your life once already?"

"You saved my leg, sure. As for little faith, just based on the last time I've seen you, it looks like you get hurt a lot. Maybe hanging out with you isn't the best idea."

"Hanging out with me is the best idea in the world, Milady."

"Holy Thor, you're arrogant."

"I'm rich. I'm allowed to be arrogant now. That's the way the world works."

"Are you sure you're not turning into – in your own words – a 'rich asshole?'" Astrid made quotation marks with her fingers.

"Oh, man, you remembered THAT, too?" the boy was laughing.

"I have a good memory," Astrid laughed.

"Well, so do I," the boy replied. "And if I recall correctly, which I do, I rephrased that statement and said that being rich was fine as long as the money was earned and that the rich people still appreciated the small things in life. I certainly earned it, and my employer thought I did as well, probably even more than I did. And I certainly appreciate all the small thing, I learned how to, so I'm officially not a rich asshole. There." The boy crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"But you're now rich." Astrid commented. "How rich, though? A millionaire, you said?"

"Yes I am."

"Wow. What on earth did you do to get all that money?"

The boy chuckled. "Well, I earned the first two million by killing an albino bull moose with antlers, and then I earned the other three mil because I fought a bear, three men, and a dog and had the pus beaten out of me when I sent the picture to the guy who wanted the moose head of that albino. He saw it and felt I earned more than just two, and gave me five. I'll show you that picture someday, and then you'll agree."

"Are you sure I actually WANT to see that picture?" Astrid asked. "I'm assuming it's NOT a pretty one."

"Not exactly," the boy grinned. "The blood and bruises weren't exactly something everyone would like to see, but all that was cancelled out by the awesomeness that radiated from my presence in the picture alone."

"Oh, come ON," Astrid laughed. "You're sounding like a cocky, egotistical smartass. But Smartass. I'm tired of cursing every time I address you. Come on, Smartass, what's your REAL name?"

The boy grinned. "It's Henry. Henry Haddock, hunter and trapper turned millionaire. It's nice to meet you; officially, that is."

He extended his hand, and Astrid took it. She had touched his hand once before, and it had sent tingles down her arm. This time it was no different. Henry took her hand and gave a fir but gentle squeeze. Astrid returned it. She liked the way he shook hands, she thought. It was a firm, solid grip, and the touch gave her the feeling that his hands would be good for either caressing her cheek or breaking her arm. Or even for – nevermind.

She looked up, and saw Henry grinning at her.

"Are you going to let my hand go, Milady?" he asked.

"Oh!" Astrid released his hand abruptly, reddening. She had been shaking it for about five times. "Sorry."

"No problemo." The corner of Henry's lip was dancing up and down. "So, anyway, Astrid, do I remember you telling me that you were new to Alaska? Is this your first week in school up here?"

"Yep, it is," Astrid answered, her blush fading. "It's actually pretty fun so far, but as for the school, you can never really tell how hard it'll be until midterms."

Henry looked fazed for a second, and then asked slowly, "Umm, what are midterms?"

Astrid stared for a second and then relaxed. "Oh, yeah, I forgot," she laughed. "You've never been to school before. Sorry, I was about to ask what planet you came from. Anyway, midterms are basically tests that are given halfway through the semester. The middle, you know – 'mid' terms."

"Oh, OK," Henry answered, his green eyes lightening up. "All right, that makes sense now. But school's good so far, then?"

"Yeah. Lots of nice people around. Have you met anybody else – besides jerks that you have to beat up?"

Henry grinned and crossed his legs. "Well, the score is two to one in favor of nice people. I've met one jerk and two really pretty girls so far, and that's it."

Astrid grinned. "Collecting phone numbers? Two girls?"

Henry laughed. "Well, I got into a fight before I could ask the first one for hers."

"And the second?"

"I haven't asked her either – yet." Henry grinned. He looked directly at Astrid and winked.

"OK. Whoa," Astrid laughed.

"Well, if I am to give you a ride my car, I'll have to tell you when somehow. After all, what are phones for?" Henry pulled out his. "You know, this is the very first cell phone I've ever touched. I'm still learning what exactly apps are or how to text properly. There's like a dumb code to texting. You have to know what certain things mean, like LOL, YOLO, and LMFAO. Then there's all kinds of other weird stuff that I'm trying to grasp, like what the hell Netflix and Chill and GIFS are. Not being around the civilized world for so long certainly has its drawbacks. In fact, I only learned two days ago what Netflix is."

Astrid shook her head. "I'm actually not really sure exactly how to explain to you what GIFS and Netflix and Chill mean. You'll have to figure those out on your own."

"Great." Henry was sarcastic. "I'm sure this will be fun. I should just type it in on the internet. Holy cow, that thing is so weird. Google, it has everything on there. I was even able to go on and catch my stepdad in a lie about how he's never been arrested." Henry laughed.

Astrid shook her head. "I'm not sure it's a good thing to know that your stepdad's been arrested. In fact, it's not a good thing at all."

Henry laughed. "With Gobber, I'm surprised he hasn't been in jail all his life. Both him and me share a distinct disdain for all government officials, and that includes the people who make the laws. You know what his advice was to me about breaking laws? 'If you can get away with it, DO it.'"

Astrid laughed. "Your stepdad sounds crazy."

"Oh, he is." Henry was nonchalant. "But he's a great guy. You should meet him. Actually, you probably shouldn't. You'd freak out at how insane he is. Anyway, hit me up with your number. I feel like an idiot holding this phone for no apparent reason."

Astrid smiled. "Fine. It's -"

She was interrupted. The door to the principal's office opened, and a student came out, who had been in the office previously. It was Tommy Thorston, the school troublemaker. As the door closed behind him, his gaze fell on Astrid.

"Hey, Riley-basher," he grinned. "What are you doing here? If you're in trouble, just be warned that Mr. Pebble is NOT in a good mood today, thanks to yours truly." He patted his chest.

Astrid grinned. "I'm not in trouble yet, Tuff. But he is." She pointed at Henry, and Tommy Thorston turned.

"Hey," Tuff said amiably. "I haven't seen you before, but I wish I had, while you were getting that busted lip." He pointed at Henry's chin. "You know, sometimes I regret causing trouble because I miss the fights while I'm in the principal's office."

Tuff extended his hand. "I'm Tommy Thorston, but everyone calls me Tuff. You'll get to know me as the troublemaker of the school, and I suppose that's more than true. Who'd you fight, bro?"

Henry had gotten to his feet to shake Tuff's hand, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Nice to meet you, Tuff," he grinned. "Glad there's someone else here who got in trouble besides me. I'm Henry Haddock."

"Sweet." Tuff was grinning. "So who'd you fight? And who won?"

"I'm not sure who he was," Henry answered, "except that he was a big dick. Heather told me his name, but I can't remember it. He was a good fighter, though."

"So he won?" Tuff asked.

"I didn't say that." Henry grinned. "I said he was a good fighter, but he wasn't good enough. He was too slow, too compressed to think – or fight – outside the box. All I needed to do was give him some variety, a few quick, hard punches to get him rattled, and the rest was easy. Like I said, I don't remember who he was, but he had an anchor tattoo on his bicep. Anyway, you'll recognize him by the way his nose will look for a week."

Tuff laughed. "Freakin' sweet. But did you say anchor tattoo on his arm? Was he a big guy, big nose, black hair, handsome?"

"Yeah," Henry replied.

"Then you just beat up the quarterback!" Tuffnut laughed. "That was Scotty. He's my pal, but it must have been cool to see him get his ass kicked! No one's done that before, and I admit he had it coming, he can be pretty obnoxious sometimes. Maybe it'll take him down a peg. Nice fucking job, Henry!"

He raised his hand for a high five, but the secretary at the desk to their right snapped.

"Tommy, watch your language or I'll send you right back in that door. And you," she pointed at Henry, "Can go right on in now. Mr. Oldman will see you about the fight."

"Thanks," Henry said, without turning around, and high-fived Tuff Thorston with vigor.

"Bam!" Tuff grinned. "I'll see you around, Henry. Maybe on the work detail."

"Oh, great," Henry said sarcastically. "Catch you later, Tuff."

Tuff, who was still grinning, raised his hand to be high-fived by Astrid as he went out. Astrid, from her seat, held her hand out and Tuff slapped it before exiting.

Astrid looked up at Henry as Tuff left. "You beat up _Scott Jorgenson_?" she asked, incredulously.

Henry shrugged. "If Scott Jorgenson is an asshole that picks on younger kids, then I guess it was him."

"Good for you," Astrid smiled. "And he IS an asshole – I know that from experience. I'll see you when you come out of there, Henry."

"Right." Henry turned to the door that was marked, 'Mr. Oldman, Principal' and went in. The door didn't close all the way, however, and Astrid perked up her ears to hear the conversation.

"Mr. Haddock." It was , the principal, speaking.

"That's me."

"We've met before."

"Yes, we have." Henry's tone was smooth and easygoing, and Astrid heard a noise as he pulled up a chair.

"You're the kid who became a millionaire and wanted to attend my school with no previous academic record. You came to see me."

"Correct."

"You were dressed better then."

"Are you criticizing my clothing, sir? What, am I expected to wear a suit to school, Mr. Oldman?"

Mr. Oldman chuckled. "No. But you are expected to refrain from fighting. When we talked two weeks ago, your behavior impressed me and I thought you would be a model student. That was part of the reason I allowed you to attend. Now I'm not so sure. Fighting on your first day is not a start to be proud of. Mr. Haddock, this school did you a great service by allowing you to attend without previous records, and yet you do not seem grateful for that fact. I get enough problems from students as is, and having you here is already causing more issues. As a school, we expect certain behavior from students."

Henry snorted audibly.

"Well sir, as a student, I expect certain behavior from my school, such as dealing with bullies who relentlessly taunt and abuse younger students. The kid I beat up had been tormenting a fellow schoolmate for at least a minute before I – executed justice. Your hall monitors and security personnel were nowhere to be found. I had to step in and do your job for you, sir. Come on, Mr. Pebble, if you've even heard exactly what happened, which I doubt, you'd find out that that guy, Scott, struck the first blow. I merely retaliated. I think the only reason I was brought here instead of him was because I was NOT the one who got sent to the nurse."

Astrid stifled a laugh. No one had ever talked to Mr. Oldman like that.

"Mr. Haddock." Mr. Oldman was terse. "I am fully aware that Scott Jorgenson was as much at fault as you are, and perhaps more. And I will also concede that we have been remiss in our duties as a school for not catching the bullying as it occurred. Therefore, I will be generous and award no punishment for you. This is your first day of school and getting involved in bullying is not a start to be proud of. Go and see if you can salvage your first day, and do not get sent here again or I will level out some severe consequences for you. Clean up your face a little and then get to your class. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

The chair squeaked as Henry rose, and a second later he emerged from the office, winking at Astrid.

"Hey, what's your first class?" Astrid asked, getting up.

"First period?" Henry pulled out a paper from his pocket and glanced at it for a minute. "English, room 42, Miss Green."

"That's mine!" Astrid laughed. "Great. Wait until I come out and then I'll walk you down there. Should only take a minute."

"Sounds good to me," Henry grinned. "You owe me an escort, anyway. I guided you through a trap-riddled hunting ground; now you can guide me through the holy terrors of public school."

Astrid laughed. "Deal."

She swung open the door and went to give her papers to Mr. Oldman. It took only a few minutes, and then she was right back out, where Henry was joking with the secretary.

"Hey, are you ready to go, Smartass?" She asked.

Henry finished laughing with the secretary and looked over at her.

"Hey, you know my name now. I thought you had given up calling me Smartass."

"I never said so." Astrid grinned. "And you know my name and never gave up calling me 'Milady.' Come on, let's get to class."

"Right." Henry turned to the secretary. "See you later, Miss Olivia."

"Have a nice day, Mr. Haddock," the secretary replied, and Henry turned to Astrid.

"All right, let's go to class," Henry said, holding open the door for her. "My first class ever. We'll see how it goes."

Astrid smiled and went through the door. "Well, don't make it as memorable as your first walk through the halls," she said. "And you'd better watch out, too. Scott's in the same class as us."

"I think he's the one who should watch out," Henry replied. "I'm not the one that got knocked on his ass a few minutes ago."

Astrid chuckled. "I assume we need to stop by your locker to get your stuff?"

"Right. It's this way." Henry turned and went back to the spot from which he had been escorted by the hall monitor. Astrid followed him and stared as she saw a few drops of blood on the floor and a huge dent in one of the lockers.

"Scene of the crime," Henry joked, as he turned to his new locker.

"What the hell dented this locker?" Astrid demanded, staring at the metal grating. "Holy Thor, I've never seen that before."

"I have hard fists," Henry grinned, spinning his combination and opening his locker.

"Are you joking?" Astrid asked, touching the metal and feeling the depression. "This is pretty thick stuff."

"I've used these fists on a lot more than just bullies and school lockers," Henry answered, turning around and shouldering his backpack. "Like I said before, being a lone ranger for ten years has a different effect on a guy than you might think."

He took off his camouflage coat and threw it in his backpack before straightening his arms to show Astrid his forearms. They were riddled with old scars and new ones, including the dog bite that he had gotten recently.

"Ouch," Astrid said, touching the recent dog bite. "All right, I admit it, you've messed with tougher things than lockers and quarterbacks. What the hell did that to you?"

"Bloodhound." Henry turned and gestured down the hall. "Room 42 is this way?"

"Right," Astrid said, turning. "And you got bitten by a bloodhound?! Why?"

"Well, let's just say the dog's owner didn't exactly – umm, _appreciate_ me at the time he decided to give an attack command," Henry answered.

"What happened?" Astrid was staring at his arm. "What did you do?"

"I killed it." Henry said it matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious. "That's the flaw with most trained attack dogs and wolves, they all go for the throat. It's not fun if they get you, but it's easy to stop them by putting your arm in the way." He lifted his left arm to demonstrate, and Astrid tore her gaze off it to look at Henry. He was describing it. "They latch on to your arm, and then they try to pull you down. You've got to move fast before they do, because if you're on your back with a dog on top, you're done for."

"What do you do?" Astrid was absorbed.

"Well, if you want to keep the dog alive," Henry answered, "You try dropping to one knee and using your free hand to press at the base of the jaw, trying to get him to unlock. But that's risky and dangerous. Even if you get him off, which isn't likely with one hand, he'll go right back at you. So you almost always have to use method two - force."

Astrid shuddered. "I'm afraid to ask what that means."

"You don't want to know," Henry replied grimly. "But you need a knife for it. When the dog has your arm and he's hanging, the only place that'll really do the trick is his belly." Henry held out his hand as if held a knife, and made a slicing motion with it. "You strip him. No hope for the dog, and it's not pretty."

"Yikes," Astrid winced. "That's more than enough. You did that?"

"Right," Henry rejoined. "With enough practice, it's easy enough. It's the same thing you do with wolves."

"Wolves!? " Astrid screeched.

"Yes, wolves." Henry grinned. "But enough about me and old dogfights. What have you been doing, Milady? Taking advantage of your still-good leg and winning more races?"

"Pretty much," Astrid smiled, as she got onto her favorite topic; running. "A few, here and there. Nothing big, but I think I'm getting faster. That's pretty good for a girl. For boys, they're expected to get faster during their High School career, but girls are different. For most of the best, they're still growing through High School, and that means more weight and wider hips, which make it harder to run over the years. But I'm different, apparently. Maybe I've already grown, but anyway, I'm getting faster. I shouldn't have a problem being the top girl runner in the state this year."

"Good for you," Henry praised. "So you like Cross Country, huh?"

"You bet. I do track, too, just so college coaches can see some numbers there, but it's not as fun. Anyway, you should try running, Henry. It'd be right down your alley. You've been on your legs all your life; until now, since you've got a Corvette.'"

Henry chuckled. "Maybe I should. I wasn't able to decide what sports to do yet, but maybe I would be good at running. When does it start?"

"Well, it started this week," Astrid said. "It goes hand-in-hand with the fall semester, which we're in right now. So if you want to do it, show up today after school – if you've already got your sports paperwork turned in."

"I did that back when I was getting registered," Henry told her. "So I can just show up and be on the team?"

"Talk to the coaches and they'll set you up," Astrid answered. "And here we are. Room 42. Come on in. Welcome to class."

"Thanks a lot," Henry muttered, and opened the door to his first High School period.

As usual, everyone turned lazily to look at the latecomer. However, as soon as they laid eyes on Henry, they all stared. Not only was he a stranger, but he was wearing a tight black Tee shirt that showed his defined muscles, and well-fitting jeans that completed the picture. Not to mention he had a swollen lip. Astrid walked in behind him.

Miss Green, the teacher, spoke up sharply, apparently not caring that a new student had entered.

"Both of you are tardy. Do you have a pass, Astrid?"

"Yes, ma'am," Astrid said, walking past Henry to the desk. She handed Miss Green her tardy slip, which Mr. Pebble had given her.

"Right," Miss Green said. "You may take your seat, Astrid."

"Thanks, ma'am."

Astrid turned and walked to her desk. Henry was still standing by the door, a slight smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"So, Miss Green," he said. "Do I get to sit right here in the aisle, or do I get a desk?"

The classroom tittered. Miss Green scowled.

"And you are?"

"Henry Haddock. Just moved up here from Soldotna – or near there. This is my first day of school, not just in Anchorage, but in my entire life, and I am an ignorant fool, but I do know that I should have a desk. Can I take one?"

The class was now grinning and whispering.

"Oh, you're the new kid," Miss Green recalled. "That's right. I remember you being on the list. I can easily see why you are late today – your face gives it away. I assume Mr. Pebble has assigned an appropriate reprimand for you. And yes, take whatever desk you choose except that one." She pointed. "It is already taken."

"It looks empty to me," Henry grinned, making a show of staring at the desk. Once again the classroom laughed.

"Silence," Miss Green snapped. "Henry, that desk belongs to Scott Jorgenson. He is not here yet, and,"

The door opened, and Scott himself entered. Henry turned around to see the big, muscular student stop in mid-stride, halting as soon as he saw Henry. His nose was bandaged. People who had noticed Henry's split lip began to put two and two together. A fusillade of whispering went around as Scott stepped up to Henry, his face inches away from the shorter boy's.

"Scott!" Miss Green snapped. "Not in my classroom, if you please! Take your seat!"

Scott ignored her, and Henry and Scott began an intense staredown. Scott's dark brown eyes bored into Henry's fierce green. They held the pose for three full seconds before Scott blinked, stepped back, and took his seat without a word. The class was stunned speechless. Henry, following Scott with his gaze, shrugged, and then glanced around for a desk. A smiling blonde girl, who sat next to Astrid, pointed at the desk next to hers. It was a perfect spot, because Astrid was the next desk down and Heather, the girl he had met earlier, was right behind him. He would be surrounded by three attractive girls, including Astrid. Especially Astrid.

So Henry grinned and walked over, dropping his backpack by the chair. He spared a glance across the aisle at Scott, who turned his head and glared daggers at Henry. Henry glowered right back, but was interrupted by a distinct 'psst.' He turned and saw the girl who had smiled at him leaning over to talk.

"Hey," she said. "You're Henry?"

"That's me," Henry whispered back.

"I'm Callie Johnson," the girl smiled. "Nice to meet you." She reached her hand over discreetly and grasped Henry's hand. "Some people call me Cami. I saw your fight this morning. You rocked it."

"Aww, come on," Henry muttered. "And you know what, if you're going to talk to me, why don't you teach me before we banter? I know how to fight, we don't need to discuss that. What I don't know is what the hell I'm supposed to be doing right now."

Callie smiled, and pointed across Henry's desk at Astrid, who was looking at Henry. "Hey, As," she said. "You didn't teach him what to do in class?"

"No," Astrid whispered back. "I didn't really have time."

"I would have found the time," Callie grinned, and looked back to Henry. "OK, big guy, here's what we all do in class. Get this, it's REALLY important. We do – wait for it - NOTHING."

Henry stared. "What?"

"Nothing."

Henry frowned. "Nothing?"

"Nothing." Callie was enjoying herself. "Productivity is not even an _option_ here. If you really feel like doing something, you watch a movie or text on your phone. Other than that, don't even bother. This class is a waste of time."

Henry was gawking. "I thought school was a – a place where you actually learned - something," he stuttered.

"Well, yeah, you're SUPPOSED to learn," Astrid cut in. "But actually doing it is a completely different story."

"Well, OK," Henry said. He pointed at the books on his desk. "And these are here just for show?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Heather laughed, nudging Henry from behind. "Use them only when you feel like making Miss Green think you're actually doing anything."

"Holy shit," Henry muttered, and all the girls laughed. Miss Green looked up.

"Girls!" She snapped. "Heather, Callie, Astrid, quiet down."

"Yes ma'am," Callie said meekly, and rolled her eyes at Henry. Henry just shook his head.

"Hey, Astrid," Callie said, pulling out her phone. "Check this out. You didn't get to see the fight, so I filmed it for you."

"Oh no, don't show her that!" Henry groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Oh Gods."

Astrid took Callie's phone and, with a glance at Henry, who was shaking his head, hit the play button. The sound was quiet, but she could hear the din of students and then the camera focused on Henry. He was rolling his shoulders and grinning, blood trickling down his lip. He had just gotten hit, apparently, but it didn't seem like it had fazed him at all.

"You know," Henry said on the film, "If there was a school designed to teach people how to hit like a pussy, you'd be the damn principal."

Astrid stifled a laugh in her sleeve, and looked back to the phone screen to see Scott yell some obscene insult and attack Henry. That was where things got interesting. Henry ducked and spun, and somehow his fist hit Scott square in the jaw, knocking him back against the lockers.

"Oooomffph." Astrid winced as she saw it, and Henry didn't stop there. He leapt forward and punched again, but Scott dodged, and she saw Henry's fists hit the locker. The dent appeared. He had actually dented the locker.

Astrid's face lost all signs of amusement as she saw the brutal finish. Henry won the battle quickly and efficiently, and Scott's howl of pain was a little unnerving. She paused the video.

"Geez, Henry, you pasted him," Astrid marveled, handing the cell phone back to Callie. "Where'd you learn to fight?"

Henry shrugged. "Here and there."

"Yeah," Heather chuckled. "Here and there? How about everywhere? You've fought before, Henry. I would even say you've fought for a living."

"Yes, I have," Henry muttered. "But who cares? I don't like fighting. I just did that because Scott was being a dick. Don't expect me to go hammering away at everyone I see."

"But that's cool!" Callie murmured.

"Cool?" Henry spluttered. "Fighting is a last resort. It's not fun, or – or cool. Come on, Callie."

"Fighting is great!" Callie grinned. "Talk to Astrid about that."

"Oh?" Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh NO, do not get him calling me Riley-basher!" Astrid groaned.

"Wait, what?" Henry grinned. "Do I smell a mouse here?"

"Oh yes," Heather laughed. "Little Miss Astrid right there can kick some ass too, when she feels like it."

"Stop it!" Astrid moaned.

"Oh no." Heather was enjoying herself, and Henry leaned back in his chair to hear her better. "So this hottie around here, Riley Thorston, got the idea in her drunk head that Astrid was trying to steal Riley's boyfriend, who is actually Scott, the guy you just beat up. She got physical with Astrid, and so Astrid snapped."

"Like, she just went nuts," Callie broke in. "She wound up and BOOM!" She demonstrated with an exaggerated, overdone uppercut.

"Knocked poor Riley out cold." Heather was laughing. "It was terrific. Tuff sent me a video of it, wanna see it?"

"Oh, no!" Astrid hissed, reaching for Heather's phone. "Don't show him that!"

"Oh no, Milady," Henry grinned. "You saw me fight on film, I get to see you fight on film."

"But, I was like, really irritated and had been drinking," Astrid complained, as Heather stiff-armed Astrid away from her while she scrolled down her phone.

"Here we go, big guy," she grinned at Henry. "This was a catfight that was more like a boxing match. It's been all over the school. There's no one who hasn't seen it now."

"Then I can't be left out," Henry grinned, as Astrid tried to take the phone from him. "Oh, no, Milady, hands off."

He hit the play button, and the dull roar of 'fight, fight' echoed from the speaker. Henry grinned as he saw Astrid, in a short blue dress, step forward, fake, and then lift an uppercut, which smashed into her opponent, a gorgeous blonde in a gorgeous dress. The girl crumpled like a wet rag.

"K.O." Henry chuckled. "That was a stroke, Blondie. You should have been there and fought Scott for me."

"She got nicknamed Riley-basher after that," Callie broke in. "It's completely stuck among all the guys. I hope you'll keep it going, Henry."

"No! I hate that title!" Astrid snapped. "It sucks! I can't wait for the races to start so they'll all know me as 'that fast chick' instead of 'Riley-basher.' Goodness, it sounds so stupid."

"It sounds awesome, Milady," Henry laughed. "I'll start calling you that, too."

"You can't!"

"You bet I can."

"But you've already got TWO nicknames for me! 'Milady' and 'Blondie.'"

"There's always room for one more."

"No, there isn't!"

"Yes there is, Milady Riley-basher."

"Oh, nooooo!"

The bell rang, and Heather and Callie laughed aloud as they got up from their seat. Henry, however, raised an eyebrow.

"What does that bell mean?" he asked. "Why is everyone getting up?"

"Oh, you poor little ignorant guy," Callie laughed. "That bell means time for the next class. You've got five minutes to be there. Let's go."

"Right." Henry was grinning, but then he abruptly lost his smile and handed the phone back to Heather. His eyes wearily went to the aisle, and the three girls turned to see why. Scott Jorgenson was there, standing by Astrid's desk.

Henry rose. "If you're looking for round two we can take this to the locker room," he said to Scott coldly.

Scott smiled, looking even nastier with his bandaged nose. "Maybe later," he sneered. "In fact, almost certainly later. I just stopped by to warn you. Don't fuck with me again. You caught me off guard today, I admit it, and you pack a punch. But when round two comes, you won't be the one walking away."

Henry smiled. "We'll see."

"Scott and Henry!" Miss Green was stern. "Move out. Class is over. And no squabbling or I'll send you right back to where you came."

"I'll see you later, Henry," Scott sneered, turning to walk away.

"I can be in the parking lot after school if you want to get pummeled again," Henry told his back. Scott ignored it, pushed open the door, and vanished in the hall.

"What an asshole," Callie muttered, picking up her bag. "I hope you DO fight him again, Henry. I want to watch."

"Come on, Callie," Henry laughed. "What is up with you and fighting?"

"I'm a karate girl," Callie replied, as the three girls and Henry walked out into the hall.

"Oh, really?" Henry was genuinely interested. "Karate? That's some kind of really weird fighting style, isn't it?"

"It is," Callie grinned. "I should fight you someday."

"Oh, don't ever fight him," Heather laughed. "Didn't you see how fast Henry moved? You'd be a dead girl in two seconds."

"I'm not sure," Callie said. "Maybe Henry can't counter my fast moves."

"We'll see if he can," Astrid smiled. "And watch out, Haddock!" She swung a quick chop at Henry's neck.

Henry reacted automatically. With a jerk, he ducked under Astrid's swing and pushed her shoulder as the arm sailed overhead. She spun, and Henry came up under her arms, grabbed her hips, and with a quick jerk, flipped her over his back.

"Yiiiiikkkkkkeeessss!" Astrid shrieked, as her legs flipped over and she landed right on her feet in the hall, behind Henry's back. Henry's arms came off her shoulders, which he had been using to steady her.

"You're light as a feather, Milady," He grinned, turning around. Astrid, gasping for air, spun around at glared up at Henry.

"Who said you could do that to me!?" She demanded.

"You brutally assaulted me, Milady," Henry grinned. "And I had to react. A ruthless Riley-basher was attacking me and I had to look out before the nickname was changed to Henry-basher."

"I'll be bashing you sometime later," Astrid growled, but there was a smile on her face. "Right now you need to get to your next class, big boy."

"Oh, right. Crap." Henry pulled the schedule of his pocket. "Second period: Math, Mr. Fremaux." He looked up. "Any of you girls with me?"

"Nope." They all shook their heads. "But Fishlegs is," Heather put in. Henry raised a brow.

"Figlegs?"

"No, FISHlegs. He's a footballer, like Scott, but he's a nice guy. There's some other cool guys around, too. You'll meet them all eventually."

"I hope," Henry smiled. "And where is," he looked at his schedule, "Room 7?"

Astrid pointed. "Down this hall, take a left, and then a right. The room is then on the right."

"Thanks a lot, Blondie." Henry smiled, and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Or should I say Riley-basher?"

"Go die in a hole," Astrid scowled.

"Oh, I probably will, if math is as enjoyable as I remember it," Henry laughed. "But we will see. And I will also see you all later. Astrid, you still owe me your number, too."

"Right," Astrid smiled. "After school."

"Great." Henry winked, turned, and disappeared in the throng of students trying to get to their classes.

The three girls watched him go.

"Holy Thor, he's hot," Callie commented.

"He's really nice and funny," Heather added. "I could definitely get used to him." She turned to Astrid. "And you look like you could too, little Miss 'I don't want a boyfriend yet.' He's after your number already! Good for you!"

Astrid reddened. "He's really nice, sure. I just…" She trailed off.

"Oh, she's got the hots for Henry," Callie laughed. "Come on, I wanted him, Astrid. Are you on him, or can I go for it?"

Astrid turned to look at Callie.

"No." She said firmly.

* * *

 **OK! There we go, the chapter ten milestone over! Let me know what you thought, what you think I could improve, what you think I did well, anything! And give me some suggestions for scenes and cool stuff that I could use, too! I'm scraping the soul of my imagination to come up with funny stuff to write, but three stories(plus one more in the works) is taking a toll on me. I want some help!**

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 **And here is my name chart, the names of the original characters translated into RWF characters that have appeared so far.**

 **Astrid – Astrid  
Hiccup – Henry  
Gobber – Gobber  
Heather – Heather  
Astrid's mom(is she even named in the movies or TV series?) - Ingrid  
Snotlout – Scott  
Tuffnut – Tommy  
Ruffnut - Riley  
Fishlegs – Frank  
Camicazi – Callie  
Toothless(dragon) – Toothless(dog/wolf)  
Stormfly(dragon) – Stormy(dog)  
Red Death(dragon) – Red Death(bear)  
Gustavish character – Ned**

 **Others, like Thuggory and Meatlug, will appear later.**

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 **Reviewers, the heart and soul of my writing motivation, thank you all so much and here are my replies!**

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 **EagleDragon15: Fake care? Heather's being a really nice girl right now, getting Henry set up. I like her, myself. But yeah, beating up Scott/Snotlout was a fun scene to write for so many reasons.**

 **Guest RV1: Never said he was short – he's just shorter than Scott. In this story I'd put Henry at about 5' 11" and Scott at 6' 2". Scott's just a really big, tall guy.**

 **Angryhenry: Yippeee!**

 **Odael: I replied to this like, over a month and like 50 messages ago. LOL. And I still hold firm to my** ** _valid_** **argument, BTW, so stop mocking me in front of everybody or I will block your reviews. :) JK, LOL.**

 **ImoLex: So glad you were excited! It's good to know that this story is liked. And I certainly had LOTS of fun hunting, thanks for the good wishes, maybe they helped. :)**

 **Angel: Right. I've already replied to this, haven't I? XD. But thanks anyway, and let me know what you thought of this one!**

 **Dark Ghost coc: Oh…. it's you….. Hi. I guess I'm glad you enjoy RWF, since my goal is to give all my readers a good story, but my opinion of your reviews isn't exactly high at the moment… Come on, bro, it's** ** _you_** **! I had been joking and bantering with you at the time you wrote this review – we were all chill, and now, not so much. So, because of that, I guess a normal, friendly reply isn't exactly one of my options now, but I do still appreciate the support and I do hope you enjoy this story.  
PS. And I also hope that you at least considered what I said to you regarding Viking Siege, even though I was rather mean about it. :/**

 **Lady Kick Your Butt: So happy! I love it when I'm able to make someone's day. Thank you! :) And yes, I went hunting, which was part of the reason this update took so long. It was FUUUUNNN! And I have put in more Hiccup/Henry snarking Scott in this chapter just for just for you! That dialogue between the two in the classroom was because you asked for it! :)**

 **Crofty666: Yeah, no Red Death in Anchorage, but that beast bear's role in the story ain't over yet, believe me. Thanks for the good wishes, I did have LOADS of fun.**

 **GBCat: Heeyy, you guessed it! Bring your Pet to School Day should be fun… And I already replied to you, didn't I? LOL.**

 **SMr. Freeze: Here you go, wait over! And thanks for the hunting wishes, I had SO MUCH fun!**

 **KupcakeKrazed101: Sorry I made you wait so long! But I did write it, and here it is. Hope you like it!**

 **LunnaValley23: Answered already; thanks again, though!**

 **AndJrew76: Yeah, I hate it when stories are left abandoned with no word of why or when they will be back up, so I made sure to warn you all before I left, even though it was only for a month(a little more).**

 **Foster117: Already answered, right?**

 **wilco pop: Already got you, too.**

 **Unbreakable Warrior: Yeah, sorry for making you wait, but I'm glad you like it and here you go.**

 **Mark Andrew: I guess my reply to you was above, since you called me a liar. I am not a liar. I am a mean cliffhanger-person, sure, but an honest mean cliffhanger person I remain. LOL.**

 **tjjenkins: Yeah man, I just had to do it, because – a big black wolf in school!? Hell yes! LOL.**

 **Guest RV2: Funny, yeah. Henry has a knack for meeting people in odd circumstances – like pointing a gun at one, and kicking the other's ass. XD**

 **Blue – The First Traveller: You said please! So here you go. :) Not having them remember each other would be childish, too, and I tried to show that they still remembered each other by having each one discuss the other with their respective parents in Chapter three – and four? I don't recall what happened in my own story. Sad. LOL.**

 **Northren Wind: Well, I did fill my freezer – too much, actually! It wasn't all able to fit. Two moose and almost 500 pounds worth of straight meat, no bones attached. And all my bullets flew straight and true into moose – except the time I had blaze away at a running moose at about 50 yds. and missed by approximately a mile. LOL. Thanks so much, pal, for both the reviews and the hunting good luck wishes! I think they helped! :)**

 **Guest RV3: Who's stronger… I would actually bet on Scott being able to beat Hiccup in an arm-wrestling match (or any feat of raw strength), but yes, Henry is a badass, and Scott is – not. LOL. And yes, Bring Your Pet to School Day was something I had to put in – I mean, what better way could Astrid meet Toothless? HA HA. And sorry I was gone for so long. I'll try to make it up to you… but I'll fail, no doubt. And yes, no albino moose, but of course NOT! :)**

 **wman243: Glad you love it! I'll try to keep it up for you.**

 **Reviewer: Oh yes, that is coming up. Why else would I put Bring Your Pet to School Day in there? LOL. Thanks for the review.**

 **xlight02: Hey bro, good to be back and enjoy!**

 **Elemental Ninja 1608(all reviews):  
Chpt. 2: Yes, Astrid being rich was an interesting touch, but I felt it would be a nice way to go to add yet another unique factor to this story. Also, for some reason I pictured her running status to be on par with her finances. LOL.  
Chpt. 3: And yes, I'm very proud of my Henry/Gobber relationship that RWF has had. I need to do more with them here soon, since you and a lot of others liked it so much.  
Chpt. 4: I never did have Astrid talk to her dad yet (her dad hasn't even made an appearance, actually), but maybe I should have, now that you mention it. I really only wanted to show that Astrid still remembered Henry when she discussed him with her mom, and didn't really think about the father. He'll have to meet Henry later, though when things go – that way. LOL.  
Chpt. 5: Heather was chill, and writing the battle with the Red Death was one of my favorite things in the whole story so far. Action I could write all day. My tongue lolls out when I do it. LOL.  
Chpt 6: And yes, TENSION! And money, ha ha.  
Chpt. 7: One odd first party, huh? But we got to see Frank/Fishlegs for the first time, so that was good.  
Chpt. 8: The confrontational scene at the bank was actually an impromptu decision that I decided to write on the spur of the moment. It will help a lot if I ever decided to make the three hunters return at a later date. **

**Guest RV 4: Thank you Thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy.**

 **skifast: Damn right it's damn great! LOL. Hope you enjoy it.**

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 **You guys are amazing, thank you so much!  
NatB.**


	11. What a Day

**Hey! I am back again, this time with chapter 11. If it took longer than you hoped, then I'm sorry – I've just been – well, busy. It turns out playing baseball and running track at the same time takes even more time than I thought. Add school and other activities to that, and writing ends up getting put off. So my updates will most likely be severely delayed. But I am now a Varsity baseball catcher and a top-grade track runner, so I am happy.**

 **Anyway, I was hoping to get a little further than I did in this chapter, but I didn't. It took too long to close out Henry's first day of school – hell, it's not even over _yet_. The reason why is I needed to introduce a few more characters and I also decided to add a major scene – actually based off of a conversation I had with some reviewer, I forget who, about who was stronger, Henry or Scott. So thank you, whoever that was, you helped inspire most of this chapter. :)**

 **And I am so proud of myself! I think I replied to every single review that wasn't a guest review. If you reviewed after the posting of chapter 10 and I forgot to answer, then sorry about that. But now I only have all the guests to reply to. Here you all go!**

* * *

 **Calamityhicca: Thank you so much! I love it when people enjoy my stories, it makes the time I put in worthwhile. Thank you!**

 **Rugbyrunner: That name sounds like a sports guy – LOL. But I'm glad you got hooked! There's nothing I like better than people just telling me I did a good job. Thank you so much, and I hope you check in time to catch this chap. :)**

 **Imogen: Wait, Imogen? I'm in the middle of reading a book series in which a character's name is Imogen. LOL. It's the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielson. Anyway, thank you so much! I love reviews with all caps, they stand out and make the story look even more awesomer. :P**

 **hicca101: Well, here you go Hicca! Next chapter for you. :)**

 **Guest No2: Thank you! I hope to keep it up and I'm glad you like it. Cheers!**

 **Anon42: Thanks so much, man! That's one thing I've been getting praised consistently on, the unique setting and plot that this story has. I'm far too proud of it.**

 **Mark Andrew: Yeah, if I went off the second movie/RTTE, which is about the age that Henry is in this story, then that height would be about right. But I'm not, so the height was mine to choose. I made Henry a bit shorter, and just made Snotlout/Scott a lot taller. I plan on having Henry grow a little bit, but not too much. After all, he's sixteen, almost seventeen.  
But I LOVE cliffies so much, man! *Whines*  
And I'm not planning to focus a whole lot on grades and school in this story, but yes, Henry will be a smart guy. He doesn't fail any classes, and he's got good enough grades to get good colleges interested in both his grades and his running.  
Thanks a lot! I am glad I'm back, too. :)**

 **anon: Sorry I made you wait so long, pal! But here you go, next chapter. Hope you like it.**

 **killer name 12: Sorry I didn't update faster, but I did my best. Here you go. Enjoy!**

 **Guest No. 1: I'm glad you like it! Yes, I'm trying to show that Henry is getting popular fast, and that he makes friends easy. And yes, I hope I do it again soon, too! It was awesome.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, all of you! On with the story. Cheers.  
NatB.**

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Henry, moving quickly through the crowd of students in the halls, was keenly aware of the fact that he was being looked at. Many kids took a thorough glance as he passed, and others even went so far as to stop in their tracks and stare. Henry didn't appreciate the attention. After all, who would, after living in almost total solitude for ten years? So many eyes in one place made him feel threatened and he wished he was allowed to carry a knife – or even better – a pistol, to school. Stupid laws.

The attention was beginning to get on Henry's nerves. He was a loner, not a guy who people stared and talked to –

"Hey!" A female voice snapped, and Henry immediately knew that the voice was directed at him. He turned slowly, half expecting to see Heather or Astrid, but it was neither.

Coming up behind him, a scowl on her face, was a smoking hot blonde girl that was an immediate attention-grabber. Henry, after a brief look, recognized her – he had seen her on Heather's phone, getting knocked out by the only girl that was prettier than this one was. It was Riley Thorston.

"You!" The girl said angrily, pointing at Henry and striding forward at a firm pace. "Yeah, you! Who do you think you are, beating up on my boyfriend like that -?"

Henry had turned around all the way by now, and as the girl saw him face to face, she immediately stopped. She froze in her footsteps. Her tongue left her and her mouth hung open. Henry, raising an eyebrow, spoke.

"Am I getting yelled at? If so, get on with it. I have class to go to."

The girl snapped out of her shock, and she abruptly shifted her look from one of anger to a sweet, eyelash-batting smile.

"Wow," she said, running her eyes up and down Henry with longing. "Wow! I didn't think - who are you?"

The corner of Henry's mouth went up. He spoke.

"My name's Henry. Henry Haddock. I'm new here, as you probably know. And you are -?"

"Riley." The girl smiled at him, extending her hand. "Riley Thorston. I'm sorry I blurted at you – I didn't realize you were so -" She stopped, flustered.

"So badass?" Henry finished, grabbing her hand and shaking it. "It comes with practice, Riley." Inwardly, Henry was disgusted. So this was Riley Thorston. She liked how he looked – he was flattered, but now it was plain she was just after the cool guy. He was repelled by her style.

Riley, however, was blushing like a rose. "Where were you for the first week of school?" She managed to ask, letting Henry's hand go.

"I was busy," Henry answered. "I had to get moved up here and straighten out all kinds of knots and tangles with the school system. It was a long and slow process, but being a millionaire sure helps."

"A millionaire?" Riley's eyes were wide and surprised, and a hint of devious cunning appeared.

Henry allowed himself a smile, while kicking himself for telling Riley he was rich.

"Why does everyone act so surprised?" he chuckled. "I'd like to think that my natural awesomeness would -"

The school bell rang.

"Oh, shit, I'm late," Henry muttered, pulling out his paper. "Sorry, Riley, I've got to go. I suppose you're not in second period math with Mr. Fremaux?"

Riley shook her head. "No. But I wish I was – now."

Henry closed his eyes, trying not to laugh.

"Right." He turned to leave.

"Hey, I'll see you after school!" Riley called after him. "I want to get to know you!"

"Sure," Henry replied with a groan, and went back into the crowd of students. Following his school map, he found room 7 and saw the teacher's name on the front, Mr. Fremaux. The door was open a crack, and he entered, swinging the door inward. He stepped into his second classroom.

And got hit in the face with a paper airplane.

"Ohhhh!" Everyone laughed, as Henry recoiled. In the blink of an eye, he dropped to one knee and snatched the paper airplane out of the air as it fell. It crumpled in his palm. His other hand had went immediately to his belt, and was groping unconsciously for a gun that wasn't there.

The whole room, which was full of students but no teacher, fell utterly silent. Henry looked down and realized that he had destroyed the airplane. It was crumpled in his hand. With a shrug, Henry grimaced, crumpled the airplane into a ball, and tossed it at a trash can four feet away. The paper landed in the can smoothly.

"Sorry about that, guys," Henry grinned, sliding his hands into his pockets embarrassedly. "Just - keep it away from the door."

"Hey, no, _I'm_ sorry, man," a voice said. "I didn't realize someone was coming. Didn't mean to hit you."

"No problem," Henry answered, turning to look at the boy who spoke. It was an overweight, chubby boy with a mat of blonde hair and a cool smile. He was sitting at desk near the back. "It happens," Henry added.

"I haven't seen you around yet," the chubby boy commented, leaning back in his chair. "A new kid, huh? Who are you?"

"I'll tell you who it is!" a voice shouted, one that Henry recognized. A tall, lean boy with long blonde hair jumped in through the door and threw his arm around Henry.

"This," Tommy Thorston announced to the class, "Is Henry Haddock, badass extraordinaire, who just got done kicking Scotty's ass this morning!"

The classroom laughed and cheered, but just then the teacher, Mr. Fremaux, strode in from a side door.

"Tommy Thorston, shut your loudmouth!" he snapped. "Sit at your desk and for crying out loud, don't open your mouth again!"

"Yessir," Tommy said meekly, and, clapping Henry on the shoulder, dropped into a desk by the aisle. Henry expected, just based on the teacher's entrance, that he would being yelling again, but he didn't, and the student were all smiling and grinning. Henry got the impression that this teacher was a unique kind.

"You." Mr. Fremaux, his scowl vanishing, pointed at Henry even as the teacher sat down at his desk. "You the new kid, huh?"

"That's me," Henry answered with a wry grin. "Rockin' and ready to go."

"You look like you've gotten a nice little welcome," Mr. Fremaux grinned, gesturing to Henry's lip. "Who won?"

"I did," Henry admitted. "And sure, what better way to start my school career than by kicking a jerk's ass, huh?"

"Watch your language, Henry," Mr. Fremaux chuckled. "And I'm no supporter of bullies or cursing, but if you swear or get into another fight in my classroom I'll kick your ass myself."

The class laughed, and Henry shook his head. "Great. Should I just grab a desk, Mr. Fremaux?"

Mr. Fremaux pointed. "Only one left, just for you. Right next to Fishlegs Soda-guzzler."

The class laughed again, and the chubby boy in the back raised his hands in protest.

"Whoa, I'm the guy that's been letting you win money on the football bets for the past year, Coach John," he complained. "You should be glad I'm fat."

The class laughed for the third time.

"I'm not encouraging betting in any way," Mr. Fremaux grinned, "but yes, I do owe you a favor, Fishlegs. I was a richer man after last year's season. However, the most I ever won on a bet with you was in last year's _PIE_ eating competition."

The class laughed once again.

"All right, Henry," Mr. Fremaux turned back to the chuckling boy, "Go ahead and take a seat. As you probably just noticed, I like having a relaxed and friendly environment in the classroom. Most people would call me lax, but don't get me wrong, if you perform poorly, I'll have to start cracking down on cell phone use and inattention, or anything that could interfere with your studies. Don't make me do that. Get good grades."

"I fully intend to, sir," Henry replied.

"And you can ditch the sirs and Mr.'s," Mr. Fremaux added. "John is good enough for me and it's good enough for you. Take a seat, pal, class is about to begin. Have fun but keep the noise down."

"Righty-o." Henry, a grin still on his freckled face, turned and went to the one and only empty desk in the room. It was right next to the chubby boy who had hit him with the paper airplane. Fishlegs.

Mr. Fremaux was beginning to start his class presentation, and Henry leaned over to Fishlegs and extended his hand.

"Fishlegs is what they call you, right?" he smiled. "I'm Henry Haddock."

Fishlegs shook his hand. Henry liked his handshake, it was smooth and solid.

"That's right," Fishlegs replied. "They all call me Fishlegs, and I really don't mind too much. I don't know, it just seems to me that having a school nickname gives you a sense of everyone being best pals with you, you know what I mean?"

"Not really," Henry laughed. "This is my first day of school, like, ever. I have no clue as to how the social standing and stuff works around here."

"Really." It was a statement, not a question. "That's interesting, since you already seem to know how to get popular fast." Fishlegs pointed to Henry's lip. "Beating up the quarterback is a great way to start. The girls will be all over you tomorrow, I'd say a 97.45% chance of it."

"They're all over me today already," Henry grinned. "In fact, Astrid and I have really hit it off. I've met her before, so that was a plus."

"Hey, man!" Fishlegs high-fived Henry. "Good going, pal. Astrid's a hottie."

"She sure is." Henry plowed a hand through his hair embarrassedly. "Do you know her well? I mean, if I decide to take her out, which I certainly will, what's her favorite place to go?"

"Oooh, that's a tough one." Fishlegs grimaced. "Whenever we all hang out together she likes Bear's Tooth or just plain old Subway. She's a runner, you know. Freakin' health maniacs. But for a date, I would try Rustic Goat. It's a little restaurant-bar off of Northern Lights. Astrid likes it and it's a nice place."

"I'll keep that in mind," Henry said appreciatively.

"So, are you looking to take her out soon?" Fishlegs asked. "How long have you known her?"

"Well, I met her once a while back," Henry said. "And then I saw her again today and we hit it off, I think."

"Maybe a little soon for a date, then? Fishlegs queried.

"Why not sooner than later?" Henry shrugged. "Hell, the sooner the better. I might even take her out tonight. It's Friday. Why not."

"If she says yes," Fishlegs chuckled. Then he sighed. "That's always the tough part."

Henry raised an eyebrow at the way Fishlegs looked downcast.

"Are you after a girl, Fishlegs?" He asked.

Fishlegs snorted. "Yeah, you could say so," he answered. "But it's all a joke. I mean, why would the head cheerleader ever go out with a guy like me?"

"The head cheerleader?" Henry looked surprised. "You mean that blonde, Riley Thorston?"

Fishlegs looked up. "Wait, you know her?"

"She introduced herself just a few seconds ago," Henry grinned. "She was about to yell at me for beating up Scott, and then she started to flirt with me. Not my kind of girl. Maybe you've got a chance now, Fishlegs, she's probably dumping Scott to try me."

"And you aren't going to go for her?" Fishlegs was astounded.

"Of course not," Henry laughed. "Astrid's got me already. And Astrid's prettier than Riley is, admit it."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Riley is the hottest girl in the school. No one questions that."

"I do."

"Well, you have no authority, Henry."

"The girls love me, man. I must have a natural talent at all things girl-related."

"Oh my God."

"You're just jealous, Fishlegs."

"I am! In two seconds you got Riley Thorston breathing on your lips and I've been trying to get just a hint of that for two full years."

"Riley isn't exactly a catch, Fishlegs," Henry said slowly. "I mean, holy Thor, she's a scheming covetous little weasel, and I'm being nice there. I would SERIOUSLY question her fidelity, her honesty, and pretty much everything else about her, too."

Fishlegs looked downcast. "Huh, maybe you're right," he admitted.

"Hey man." Henry clapped Fishleg's shoulder. "Forget about girls, as hard as that is. Give me a pep talk about sports. I'm going to have to do Cross Country Running, since Astrid thinks I will be good at it. What's the scoop on that area of sports?"

The next hour of class was spent with an eager Fishlegs explaining every meticulous detail of Cross Country Running to Henry. How West High School's boys and girls teams had been the state third-place finisher and runner-up for the last year, and that with Astrid the girls would have a big chance to win it all. How the practice schedule worked out, how easy/hard it was to make Varsity, who the best state teams were, and how many people watched the races. The West High boys' team was in need of an anchor, and Fishlegs kept hinting that Henry could be the one they needed.

It's amazing how much time passes when you're having fun. In the next two classes Henry and Fishlegs were together and they bantered and laughed for several hours. By the time lunch hour rolled around, the two students were best pals.

"So this is where all the action happens," Fishlegs grinned, as he led Henry through the halls. "Where all the food is, of course. Welcome to the cafeteria."

Henry and Fishlegs strode into a large room that was clustered with tables and chairs. Along the walls on one side were stations of food and students were busy getting their lunches and eating. The noise was quite impressive. It was like a giant party.

Henry started to walk in, as people began to stare again, but Fishlegs grabbed Henry's sleeve to stop him.

"Hey, man," he whispered. "Riley's coming over to us."

"Well, wonderful," Henry groaned, turning to see where the blonde was. "She's going to annoy me all lunch long, ten to one odds. Where's Astrid, Fishlegs? I'd much rather-"

"Hi, Henry!" Riley Thorston pushed her way through the crowd and came up smiling to Henry. She ignored Fishlegs, who was right next to Henry.

"Hey there," Henry smiled back. "How is it going, Riley?"

"Wonderful, now that you showed up." Riley showed a playful grin. "Come on over to my table, Henry. Have lunch with me and my friends. They'll love you. Please, come on."

Henry looked at Fishlegs, who wasn't looking back. He was looking at Riley.

"Sure," Henry sighed. "Fishlegs and I will come and sit with you. Where are you at?"

"Table 20," Riley smiled, and gestured. "Come with me." She tugged on Henry's hand and led him and Fishlegs through the crowd.

"Table 20," Fishlegs muttered to Henry, as the two boys followed Riley past rows of tables. "It's in the middle of the room, and therefore the center of attention. All the cool guys sit there, which is why I think this was a bad idea."

"Like what kind of guys?" Henry asked. "Why was this a bad idea?"

"Like _football quarterbacks_ ," Fishlegs said pointedly.

"Oh." Henry stopped walking and frowned. "I didn't know that. Look, Fishlegs, I have no special wish to go up to Scott Jorgenson again and make him get the idea that I'm stealing his girlfriend -"

"Here we are!" Riley announced, and, looking up, Henry found himself facing a table of what looked like the elite high schoolers. They were all confident and cocky-looking, the boys and girls both. And there, right in front of Henry, was Scott Jorgenson. The two boys immediately stared in surprise and then began to scowl at each other.

"Hey, everybody," Riley smiled, not noticing that Scott was there. "This is the new guy, Henry." She placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You should all -" She trailed off as Henry shook her hand off his shoulder. Scott had gotten up from his seat, and he and Henry were now glowering at each other with enough animosity to kill an elephant.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Scott hissed.

"Scott!" Riley was angry. "Don't be mad just because -"

Henry grabbed Riley's shoulder and moved her away from the two boys, rather forcefully. Riley stumbled backwards. Henry ignored her and stepped forward to Scott.

Scott was sneering, his swollen and bandaged nose standing out like a sore thumb.

"What are you doing at my table?" he demanded. "Coming over here like a swaggering pig. You've got the nerve of a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest."

"Look, Scott," Henry stated firmly. "Believe me, I do NOT want to hang out with you. Riley invited me over here and I went. As for nerve, I like to think I have some, actually. In fact, an ass-kicking contest is exactly what you and I might have going on here."

Scott was about to retort, and then hesitated. By this point the entire cafeteria had directed their attention to Table 20. Hundreds of eyes were on Henry and Scott. Almost everyone had stopped eating and were pulling out their cell phones, hoping for a repeat of what happened in the morning. Henry took one step closer, leaned into the taller boy, and whispered fiercely.

"That's right, Scott," he hissed. "You're thinking it over. You're wondering how much of an idiot you'll look like getting your ass kicked for the second time in a day in front of the entire school. Not a good thought, huh? Sit down."

Scott purpled in rage. "No," he snarled.

"Then fight me."

"No."

"Then get out of my way."

"I have the feeling that you and I will be in each other's ways very often," Scott smiled.

"So do I. And I also have the feeling that you'll be the one getting knocked out of my way."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I already tried. I already DID. Your nose should remind you of that."

"Oh, you think you've won this, do you?" Scott smiled and whispered to Henry. "Get this, new kid. It's all about public opinion around here. You got lucky this morning and beat me in that fight. Now you have a chance to become the school badass instead of me. But that's not going to happen. Because you're coming down right now."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Henry grinned.

Scott straightened up and shouted to the entire cafeteria.

"Listen up, everybody!" he shouted. "It's time to settle a score here! Me and Henry here are going to arm-wrestle each other to decide who's the real man!"

The crowd of students roared in approval, and leapt from their seats to form a giant, cheering circle around the occupants of Table 20. Henry gaped.

"Wait, what!?" he exploded. "What is this!?"

Scott was taking off his jacket. "Try backing out of this now, kiddo," he laughed. "Like I said, it's all about public opinion. You're about to be embarrassed in front of EVERYONE, no matter what you do now. If you back out, you're a pussy. If I beat you, you're a pussy. You're on the short end of the deal, shortie. Now come on and arm-wrestle me."

The crowd yelled in encouragement.

Henry stared, and turned to look askance at Fishlegs. His friend grimaced and nodded, even as the hundreds of students all around began to chant.

"Go, Go, GO!"

Henry, with a look of disgust, took off his jacket. The crowd roared, and Scott, with a big smile on his face, took a seat at Table 20 and rolled up his sleeves. Riley, still in awe, cleared off all the food and dishes that were in the way of the contest.

Henry handed his camouflage coat to Fishlegs and took a deep breath.

"Well, Fishlegs, my Regular Neighborhood Einstein*," he grinned, "Now might be a really good time for you to figure out how I can beat a guy arm-wrestling who's clearly about twice as strong as I am."

Fishlegs grinned. "You might actually be able to do it," he said. "Listen up, Henry. Scott is trying to save his reputation right now. Since he can't beat you in a fight, he has to do it like this. But the whole school is watching. He's going to want to beat you quick. He'll waste all his energy on an immediate push, and waste approximately 80.5& of his energy. If you can hold out on that and then hammer him as he weakens at a high rate, you might get him."

Henry grinned. "Thanks mate."

Fishlegs clapped Henry's shoulder. "Go get em, Tiger."

Henry stepped up the table, rolled his shoulders, and sat down. The crowd of students were cheering. Hundreds of cell phones were all over.

"All right!" It was Tommy Thorston, having just arrived on the scene. He stepped up to the table as Henry and Scott sat down. "I'll start you two," he stated. "Right arms in the middle, use your left arms to brace. That's it. Lock hands. There you go. Let me test your grip there." Tommy held his hands over their two clenched fists.

"One, two, three, GO!"

Henry and Scott's arms powered against each other with such force that each boy grunted. The plastic table creaked. Their arms shaking with power, Henry held his own against Scott's first powerful onslaught, and their arms were locked upright, neither one gaining an inch. The crowd of students cheered.

"Good God, what is that noise!?" Callie asked, as she and Astrid walked into the cafeteria. "What's going on!?"

Astrid stopped to stare. There was a sea of people all crowding around in a massive ring and cheering.

"Is it a fight?" Astrid asked, but Callie was already gone, waving through the crowd to get a better look. Shrugging, Astrid followed, darting through elbows and bodies.

Callie was an aggressive crowd-pusher, and all Astrid had to do was follow behind her friend in order to get through quickly. Before she knew it, she was right on the edge of the circle, where she stopped to stare in shock.

Henry and Scott were locked in an arm-wrestling match. The two boys were bent over the table, their faces six inches away, glowering at each other. Between them, Scott's huge, thick bicep bulged as they powered against Henry's not-actually-that-much smaller one.

"Holy shit!" Callie cheered. "Get him, Henry! Hammer him down! Get his ass!"

The veins in Henry's bicep looked like they were about to pop, and his face was contorted and savage. His eyebrows were bent in a vicious scowl over his hard green eyes, which bored into Scott's dark brown like daggers. Scott's picture was slightly different. He was clearly exerting himself. His shoulder and arm was shaking with force as he strained to push Henry down, and his temples and forehead were bulging from the effort. Yet Henry was holding his own.

Astrid, her mouth still open in awe, tried to blot out the cheering of the crowd as she saw Henry's lips move. But she couldn't hear what he was saying. Tommy Thorston helped out.

"Hey everyone!" he yelled. "Shut up! We need to hear what they're saying to each other!"

The crowd quieted as if by magic, and then Astrid and the rest of the school could hear was Henry was saying through gritted teeth. The corner of his mouth twisted, and he spoke up.

"I thought you were a strong guy, Scott," he taunted. "I mean; you look like it. But come on! Are you going to start yet?"

People oohed and awed even as Scott purpled with rage. He slammed more force on Henry's arm, which Henry took in by adjusting his arm slightly. Astrid thought she saw a slight grin play across his freckled face. Henry was in complete control.

"My, but you're a weakling," Henry laughed. "Am I too muscular for you?

Scott was clearly straining now. He gasped out, "Just you wait, you piece of shit! I'll get you."

"I've been waiting long enough." To everyone's surprise, Henry yawned. "Should I end this now, or give you another chance?"

Scott roared in rage, and poured all his energy into one final push. For a second Astrid saw Henry's face shift from a look of supreme confidence to a look of pain and shock, but then it faded. However, Henry's arm faltered two inches down.

The crowd yelled. "Scott's getting him! He's going down! Kill him, Scott!"

But even as Astrid watched, she saw it was all over. Scott's breath was coming in ragged gasps and pants, and Henry was as cool as ever. The pressure that Scott was applying on Henry's arm faded, and Henry spoke again, this time with finality.

"Nice try, Scotty," he grinned, and then let loose.

Astrid heard Callie shriek in sheer astonishment as Henry threw his weight into his first – and last – push. Scott groaned aloud as he tried to counter the drive, but it was too late. Henry's arm regained the lost two inches and then more. He kept pushing, pushing, and pushing, and then finally, with a growl of triumph, he hammered Scott's arm down on the table.

The crowd exploded, everyone making a noise so loud that Astrid could not hear anything for the next minute. When the hubbub finally died down, Henry was standing on his side of the table, with Fishlegs and Tommy pounding him on the back, and Scott was still sitting on his side holding his arm, a look of shock and utter defeat on his face. As the crowd quieted down, Scott spoke, still gasping.

"How?" He whispered. "How! I'm stronger than you! How?!"

"Oh no." Henry was panting too. He leaned down and tapped the table with his finger. "You're wrong, Scott. You're stronger than me, yes, but, - you'll never be _stronger_ than me."

The crowd laughed, and Henry shook his head. "All right, enough of this. I want some food, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs was about to lead Henry over to the serving areas, but before he could move, Henry was draped in a hug by Riley Thorston.

"Wow!" Riley sighed dreamily, showing no care that her boyfriend had just been humiliated. "I've never seen anyone do that before. You're amazing!"

Astrid scowled. Fishlegs looked sick to the stomach, Henry looked exasperated, and Scott looked furious. But he was wasn't the only one. Astrid was also mad. She stepped forward just as Riley let go of Henry. However, she kept her arms on Henry's shoulders and was smiling like a Barbie up at him. Astrid was upset.

"Hey Henry," Astrid said.

She got the result she wanted. Henry turned and a look of relief washed across his face. He brushed Riley's arms off of him like twigs and turned to Astrid with a smile coming across his slightly sweaty face.

"Astrid!" He grinned. He made a muscle pose with his right arm. "You're looking at the new 'strong man' of West High, Milady."

Astrid laughed, and opened her arms slightly. Henry took the chance and wrapped her up in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and shaking her. Astrid laughed, and looked over Henry's shoulder at Riley. She looked outraged. Astrid loved it.

Henry set Astrid back down on the floor, and Callie cleared her throat.

"Right. Nice job, Henry. I had no idea you could do that. I mean, I didn't think you were stronger than _Scott_."

"He's actually a lot stronger than me," Henry admitted. "He's just dumber than me, or rather, dumber than Fishlegs. He had the idea of waiting until Scott wasted all his energy." Henry jabbed a thumb back at Fishlegs, who was now busy trying to engage Riley in conversation. It wasn't working.

"Fishlegs is a smart guy," Astrid acknowledged. "You were right to take whatever advice he gave you. I would have. I mean, it's not like I'll be arm-wrestling anybody any time soon, though."

"Did you see the whole thing?" Henry asked, as the three walked over to the food vendors.

"No," Callie sighed. "I wish we had. We got there right as you started to mock Scott. Was that Fishleg's idea too?"

"Actually, that idea was mine," Henry grinned. "And it almost backfired on me. I thought that my teasing him would just cause him to use more energy, and he did, but he almost got me. He's a beast."

"He is," Astrid admitted. "He's good at football, sure, but that's pretty much his only high point."

"I would be inclined to agree," Henry answered. "And hey, where's Heather?"

"She went out to get lunch," Callie explained. "Too bad, too, she would have loved to see this one."

"Hey!" It was a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. "What a match, Henry! You killed it!" He high-fived Henry, and then disappeared. That began a storm of congratulations. People from all over came up to Henry and told him both the fight and the arm-wrestling had been awesome. It was such a mess that Henry wasn't able to get food for a solid ten minutes.

"Well," Astrid laughed, turning to face Henry when it was over. "You've had one hell of a first day, Haddock. You've fought and won, and now you've arm-wrestled your way to the top. The school loves you. So, what else do you plan on doing today?"

Henry chuckled. "Nothing. I will take the rest of the day off. I will do nothing."

Which was exactly what he did.

* * *

 **AFTER SCHOOL -**

* * *

"Where are we going, Milady?"

"To sign up for Cross Country Running, you big dummy!"

Henry and Astrid were hurrying down a back hallway at West High. School had ended a half hour ago, and Astrid had dug henry from a crowd of admirers and dragged him off. Now they were going to see someone, and Henry didn't know who. He let Astrid know that.

"Oh!" He grinned. "Well, you could have told me that, blondie. I thought maybe you were taking me to a random back hallway."

Astrid scowled. "No. You wanted to sign up for Running, right?"

Henry nodded, plowing a hand through his shaggy hair. "I think I'd be good at it. I've ran a lot in my life, believe me."

"Right, smartass. So here's your chance to show the world how fast you are. Welcome to the holy ground of Coach Naomi's office."

"Holy ground?" Henry teased, but Astrid walked into the open door and rapped on the frame with her knuckles.

"Naomi?" She asked.

A middle sized, middle aged woman appeared from around a corner as she heard the knock.

"Oh, hi, Astrid!" she smiled. "How are you today?"

"I am fine, coach," Astrid smiled.

"Will you be here at practice on Monday?"

"Of course. You can't keep me away from running, Naomi."

"I'm sure you're right." Coach Naomi put on her glasses.

"Anyway, coach," Astrid went on, putting her hand on Henry's shoulder, "this is Henry Haddock. He wants to run with us this year."

"Really?" Coach Naomi stepped forward around her desk and ran a careful eye over Henry.

"Hmph," she said, almost to herself. "You're a strong lad, Henry. Your build is slightly more muscular than the greatest runners, but I think I could turn you into a formidable force in the 5K, providing you work hard." Coach Naomi took her glasses off and poked Henry in the chest with them. "Are you used to hard work, Henry?"

"I've never known anything else," Henry grinned. "And I've got legs like steel engines. I can run hard and fast. Especially if you put a bear behind me."

Naomi looked at Astrid.

"He's probably not lying," Astrid laughed. "I haven't seen him run, but I have seen him doing – other things. He's probably faster than Johnny."

Coach Naomi's eyes widened. "Faster than Johnny?"

"I think."

Coach Naomi's eyes went back to Henry. "Well, Henry, Astrid thinks you're a fast boy, and she's the best female runner in the state. I can also see that you've been fighting earlier today. That shows aggression and spirit. I like both of those traits in my runners. Join the team, Henry. All you need to do is have a sports physical and the necessary paperwork. If that's all turned in by Monday you can come practice with us, and then I'll see what you're made of."

Henry grinned. "I've already got most of my sports paperwork all turned in. I just didn't know what sport to try – until Astrid kinda decided for me."

"Well, I think you – or she – made a good choice," Coach Naomi laughed. "All right, Henry, I'll look forward to seeing you run. What grade are you?"

"A – a – a what do they call it?" Henry turned to Astrid.

"A Junior, stupid," Astrid laughed.

"Right." Henry grinned. "A Junior."

"Great." Coach Naomi smiled again and shook Henry's hand. "I'll expect to see you run on Monday."

"You will." Henry grinned. "Catch you later, Coach."

Henry and Astrid turned and walked out of the office.

"Well, that was easy," Henry chuckled. "But you made it look like I was a State Champion the way you pumped me up. Who's Johnny, who I'm supposedly faster than?"

"Johnny Trotter," Astrid replied. "He's West High's fastest runner, the third fastest in the state. He's been the boy's team anchor for two years, since he was a Freshman. I've seen him on film and in practice. He's good, but he's a big goof-off."

"And you think I could beat him?"

Astrid turned and smiled up at Henry. "Yeah."

"Well, thank you so much, Milady," Henry sighed, draping an arm across her shoulders and walking along once more. "Of course, you do realize that if I'm NOT faster than Johnny, you will look like a liar."

"Then don't make me a liar." Astrid was smiling.

"I'll do my best. Now, now that you have dragged me into a room to sign up for Running, where are we going?"

"Umm, good question." Astrid laughed. "School is over and you're now on the running team. What do _you_ want to do?"

"I want to eat. I'm starving. There was such a crowd at lunch that I hardly had time to eat. Funny. I thought eating was what lunch was for."

Astrid grinned. "So it is. And I'm hungry, too."

Henry looked at Astrid. "Want to go get a bite to eat?"

The corner of Astrid's mouth went up, and she leaned her head against Henry's arm as she looked playfully up at him.

"Is this a date?" she asked cheekily.

"Call it that if you want." Henry was smiling. "I prefer a date myself."

"I only just learned your name today." Astrid argued.

"So what?" Henry laughed. "You promised me your number, which I haven't gotten yet, by the way. And if you give your number to someone that usually means that they will call you and take you out on a date, right? I mean, I just moved to civilization and even I know that. So you have no excuse. It's a date. My very first. Come on, let's go."

"Do I get to see your car?"

"Even better. You get to ride in it. Come on, Astrid."

Astrid laughed.

"All right. Fine, smartass. We're on a date."

"Yes!" Henry did a dramatic fist pump.

* * *

 ** _*Ha ha! Angel, that was for you. Hope you liked it. You got a cameo. LOL._**

 **All right! I was kind of hoping to get more in this chapter than I did, but I guess I failed. Next chapter should have a date and maybe a weekend fun outing/stuff. That's the tentative plan.**

 **And a huge thanks to PuppeteerOllie for betaing this story for me. He's a great author, go check out his HTTYD AU, Release Your Problems. It's worth a read. :)**

 **Catch ya'll next time,  
NatB.**


	12. The Red Death Returns

**So… Damn. It's been a while since I posted. So sorry, but sports really took up a lot more time than I expected. And I got a raw deal , too. I got injured and missed my last three baseball games and the Region/State Track Meet. So now it's all over and I have time again - to write stories! So yay, I guess.**

* * *

 **Guest reviewers – and, once again, if you reviewed the last chapter and didn't get a reply, go ahead and kick me in the ass for forgetting.**

* * *

y

 **acw28: Well, you guessed that just about dead on! Sorry, that doesn't happen in this chapter, but probably the next one. We shall see. I have to make sure its extra kick-ass. LOL.**

 **Guest1: Well, you get your wish! I already had that part planned, but if you want you can take the credit for encouraging me. :) That all should be coming up next chapter – stay tuned for it!**

 **Guest2: Snot getting humiliated never gets old, does it? LOL. And yes, gotta get this Hiccstrid rolling… on a date, huh? Read on!**

 **Guest3: Going strong as in arm-wrestling strong! LOL. And I'm really sorry I wasn't prompt with an update. Gee, it's been way too long.**

 **All right, that's all? OK, on with the delayed Chapter 12 – hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **JUST OUTSIDE SOLDOTNA, 10 HOURS EARLIER**

* * *

"Elisha! Where are you?"

Five year old Danny Phelps squeezed his way through the slats of the old wooden fence outside his house in Soldotna. His sister, four year old Elisha, was sitting down near the tree line, busy with making her all-important mud pies. Danny sighed, brushing a fly out of his face with his grubby hand. He spoke.

"Elisha, we're not supposed to be out here."

His sister looked up and became sour. "But Danny! There's no mud in the yard!"

Danny began to walk towards the trees. "No, Elisha, it's too dangerous out here. Daddy said so."

"Oh, come on," four year old Elisha sighed. "Why do you have to be so bossy, Danny?"

"Because I'm older," Danny said smugly, walking up to Elisha. "And mommy will be mad at you for getting your clothes dirty. Let's go back into the yard."

"I don't wanna," Elisha whined. "Here, take this!" She picked up her mud pie and splatted it on Danny's chest. Danny yelled.

"Hey!"

"Ha ha, gotcha!" Elisha shouted. "Now mommy'll be mad at you too! Ha ha!"

"I'll get you for that!" Danny shouted. "I'll mud you up! Hey, get back here!"

Elisha was running to the trees, where she stopped and scooped up another handful of mud.

"Fire!" she laughed, and hurled the mud at Danny. It was going right at the boy's face, and he yelled and ducked. However, he slipped in the mud and landed on his back with a splat.

"Ha haha!" Elisha shrieked with laughter. "Danny's muddy! Danny's muddy!"

Danny was wrathful. Ignoring the slick and slimy mud, he scrambled to his feet to charge at Elisha. But as he got to his feet, he froze.

There was something in the trees behind Elisha.

Elisha was still dancing around. "Got you, got you, nanana!" She was pointing at Danny and laughing.

Danny stood, rooted to his spot. The thing in the trees behind Elisha began to move. Leaves rustled and branches cracked as a furry beast began to come out.

'Please, let it be just a moose,' Danny prayed.

Elisha noticed that something was wrong. She stopped dancing.

"Danny?" she asked, her smile fading. "Danny, what's the matter? You look as white as a ghost!"

Danny raised a trembling arm. "Elisha," he whispered. "Behind you. It's behind you."

"What?" Elisha asked. "What did you say?"

"Look behind you!" Danny screamed.

Elisha whirled, and as she spun, the thing in the trees stepped out, right in front of the little girl.

One giant paw with enormous claws emerged, and then another. Above them a giant furred chest and head appeared. The head towered above the children, and terrifying bloody fangs were lathered with drool.

It was a bear. A giant red-furred bear.

As the children, scared to death, stared at the beast, it growled savagely and pounced. It was the last thing Danny ever saw.

* * *

 **ANCHORAGE, PRESENT DAY**

* * *

A bullet clinked as Astrid touched it.

"What's that?" she asked, turning to Henry.

Henry Haddock swung himself into the car on the driver's side and looked up at what Astrid was touching. A small silver bullet in a glass capsule was hanging from the front mirror.

"That, Milady, is a five-million dollar bullet," Henry grinned, shutting the car door.

Astrid stared, closing the door of the car on her side. "No way. Five million dollars? Come on, it's just a bullet."

"Guess again." Henry tossed his backpack into the back seat of his black corvette, and reached out to touch the capsule with a reverent air. "That," he said proudly, "is the pistol bullet that brought down the most valuable moose ever shot."

Astrid frowned. "I'm not a hunter like you, but don't you shoot moose with rifles, not pistols?"

"Not this moose." Henry pulled his keys from his pocket and inserted them in the car. "This moose was too special. See, I had lost my rifle and had only one pistol bullet left when I saw that moose. I put one good shot in its neck and then had to finish it with a spear." Henry pointed at the capsule. "I dug that bullet out of the carcass, on camera, to prove it matched my pistol. And I kept it as the most badass souvenir ever."

"All right, this sounds really weird," Astrid laughed. "And badass, sure, if you say so. But I'm _not_ sure it's legal to have a bullet in your car on school property."

Henry grinned. "You know, my stepdad always says, 'If you can get away with breaking the law, DO it.'"

Astrid laughed, and Henry turned the key in the ignition. The corvette roared into life, its smooth engine humming.

"In fact," Henry said, as he turned and began to back out of the parking space, "If you really want to see how much I care about the law, reach under your seat."

Astrid, with a wary glance at Henry, did so. She reached under her seat and felt an object – an object that rated interest. She gripped it and gasped as she pulled out a loaded .45 handgun in a black leather holster.

"Are you crazy?" she gaped, holding the weapon gingerly in her hand.

"No. Just sane." Henry grinned. "I mean, seriously, I can't go around without a gun, not after what I've been through. I feel vulnerable, weak, and when I learned that schools don't allow guns, I was kinda on edge. In places where guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns."

Astrid slowly shook her head, taking the pistol in both hands.

"I still say you're crazy. What if they catch you with that?"

"Then – that would be - unfortunate," Henry laughed.

Astrid shook her head. "You're pretty reckless, Henry." She placed the gun in her lap carefully.

"Life is no fun without a little risk," Henry grinned, turning the wheel as he maneuvered through the parking lot. "And it's also no fun without food. Where do you want to go to eat?"

"I don't really care," Astrid said, fastening her seat belt.

Henry kept his grin on, and pulled out into the main area of the parking lot before speaking. "The best runner in Alaska doesn't care what or where she eats? No way!"

Astrid laughed, waving her hand. "Really, I don't, as long as it's not crazy bad for you, like McDonalds or something like that."

Henry smiled, remembering Fishleg's advice from earlier in the day about Astrid's dining habits. "Fine, then. We'll go to Rustic Goat."

"Oh yes! I love that place!" Astrid smiled, leaning back in her seat.

"I've heard its good," Henry said. "I've never actually been there before."

"It is good," Astrid smiled. "It's great, actually. Yes. We should definitely go there."

"Then Rustic Goat it is." Henry, glancing both ways, pulled out of the West High parking lot onto the road.

"And you should also really wear a seat belt." Astrid stated.

"It's annoying," Henry complained. "It makes me feel - restrained."

"Well, that's what it's supposed to do!" Astrid laughed. "Restrain you! To keep you from killing yourself in a car accident, dummy!"

"But what if the car catches on fire and it won't come undone?" Henry asked. "And I can't reach my knife to cut it? What then?"

"Well, what's the chance of that?" Astrid argued.

"Too much for me." Henry grinned. "Seriously, on the driver's test, they asked me if it was safer to have a seat belt on in a submerged vehicle. I said HELL NO! But I got the question wrong! Apparently it IS safer to be restrained underwater? What is this shit?"

Astrid laughed. "I guess so. And if it's safer to wear one underwater, it's definitely safer to wear one now. Put it on, smartass."

"So bossy!" Henry sighed. "But if I put on my seat belt now, I will have to take my hands off the wheel. Now, is _that_ safe, Milady?"

"Oh my God, why are you such a joker?" Astrid threw up her hands in mock despair.

"Because I like joking," Henry said, steering the car on the small overpass above the highway. "Joking is good for your health. And hey, what do you think of my car? Does it prove I'm a millionaire, like I said I was?"

"It is pretty sweet," Astrid admitted. "It looks awesome, that's for sure." She held the pistol in her hand out to Henry. "Where should I put this, Mr. Millionaire? I sure don't want to hold it."

"Just put in in the glove box," Henry said. "I think I'll need it tonight, actually."

Astrid, not bothering to ask why he needed it, reached out, opened the glove box, and put the gun in. However, she raised her eyebrows at what was in the compartment. There was no other firearm, but there was a six-inch long hunting knife and a large packet of smoked meat – not store-bought.

"What's the meat for?" she asked, shutting the door to the glove box, with a click.

"Oh, the jerky?" Henry grinned. "Oh, that's food for eager animals. My pal Toothless is a hungry fellow."

"Toothless?" Astrid looked askance at Henry. "A pet?"

"More like a friend." Henry smiled. "The word pet seems too – unsuitable. It implies I own Toothless, and in his case, that isn't true at all. He's like another person to me."

"Wow." Astrid was surprised. "I wasn't expecting a hunter like you to have that kind of a love for animals. It sounds like you really care about him."

"I do." Henry looked solemn. "I'd die for him. Hell, he's saved my life. Twice."

"That's incredible." Astrid smiled. "A loyal one, huh? I think I want to meet this 'Toothless.'"

"Yeah!" Henry grinned. "I heard about this 'Bring Your Pet to School Day,' thing that's going on. It's on Monday, right?"

"Yes!" Astrid laughed. "My Goodness, it will be utter chaos. A half day of teens and pets, roaming around, free to do as they please – oh dear. I don't think I'll bring poor Stormy. She's my dog. She's so great. But she hates large crowds. Will you bring – umm, Toothless?"

"Sure," Henry mused. "But no, bring your dog. I'd like to meet her, too. But I'll find Toothless tonight and tell him we're going somewhere."

"Find him?" Astrid was confused. "Doesn't he just live at your house?"

Henry laughed. "Oh, I guess I didn't make this clear. Toothless is not a dog. He's a wolf."

Astrid gawked. "A wolf?!"

"Yes." Henry answered earnestly. "And wolves don't live in people's houses. No. Toothless chills in the Chugach Mountains with his new pack, which I haven't met yet. That's what the jerky is for. No better way to make friends with wolves then to feed them jerky. Now you know."

"I'll bet." Astrid laughed. "My Goodness. You're even crazier than I thought. You dent lockers, beat up quarterbacks, carry guns illegally, and now I hear that you make friends with wolves."

"It's an art."

"It's dumb! What if they decide to eat you?"

"Then Toothless will kill them. If he won't, I will."

Henry said it with such uncaring simplicity that Astrid had to blink. "Well, I can't argue with that," she answered with a chuckle.

"All right, here we are," Henry said, and turned the wheel of his Corvette. He guided the car off the highway and into a parking space outside Astrid's favorite restaurant – Rustic Goat.

"This place looks nice," Henry said, turning off the engine and opening his door to step out of the car. The restaurant/bar was a two story building with a sunny deck on the second level.

"It IS a nice place," Astrid said, reaching for her door handle. However, before she could touch it, Henry yelped, jumped, and slid across the hood of his car to her side. He then opened the door for her with a flourish.

"At your service, Milady," he grinned, offering his hand to Astrid.

"For the love of God," Astrid laughed, staring up at him. "You just had to open the door for me, huh?"

"I felt like being chivalrous." Henry smiled. He extended his hand, and Astrid took it. "And now you owe me one."

"I do not! You decided to do that!" Astrid, holding onto Henry's hand, stepped out of the car and placed her hands on her hips.

"Aw, come on, I did do it!" Henry shut the car door and locked it with a beep of his keys. "All right, let's go eat. I'm starving." He put the keys in his pocket and offered his arm to Astrid.

Astrid grinned, taking his arm and jerking him towards the door playfully. Already Henry had done something she hadn't seen on a regular date before – insisting on opening her door for her. Then he surprised her again inside the restaurant. He selected a booth, which was normal, but instead of sitting across from her like people normally did, he dropped into the spot right beside her. Then there was yet another oddity. He pulled a roll of bills, fairly thick, out of his pocket and laid it in plain view in the middle of the table.

"Umm, what's that for?" Astrid asked, glancing curiously at the money.

Henry smiled. "I learned this trick only after a few times in a restaurant," he said. "You see, everyone was always whining about how it took forever for their orders to arrive or for the waitress to come to their table. I had to wait a long time myself, and I don't like waiting. So I figured out how to get the waitresses to come to my table faster."

He nodded towards the roll of bills. "Waiters and waitresses make almost all their money on tips. If they see a person who would probably tip a lot, they give them better – and faster - service. It's only natural."

"Oh my god," Astrid laughed, face-palming. "You – you're a genius."

Before Henry could reply, the waitress arrived, glanced at the roll of bills, and took their orders with speed and a smile. Astrid ordered what she told Henry was the best meal at the place – an odd dish that was a combo of fried chicken and beans. Henry ordered the same.

Henry leaned back as the waitress left. "Works every time."

Astrid laughed, leaning back too. "It only took you a day in a restaurant to figure that out? I'm impressed."

"Well, it was my first time," Henry explained. "So I was hyper attentive and super wary. There was so many people there, and oh boy, I was alert. I also learned that first time to tip like a man, no cheap ass tips. It makes you look like a loser. Also, Eating at a Restaurant 101 - it's just NOT a good idea to piss off the people who handle your food."

Astrid laughed again. "That is funny," she said. "But true. Gee, who knows what they could feel like adding to your diet if they get mad enough."

Henry nodded. "And I'm sure as hell careful enough. I have this major case of not-trusting-strangers fever. Anything that _moves_ around this city makes me nervous, although I'm getting better at dealing with that. I'm not fully adjusted, though, far from it. Hell, that TV up there makes me nervous."

He pointed up to the large flat screen TV above the bar, where the local news station was playing.

"Oh, you'll get used to that stuff," Astrid said dismissively, pointing her napkin at Henry. "Just wait till you travel to New Orleans. Now THAT place has a lot of people. It makes Anchorage look like a tiny village. I feel like I have SO much space after moving from there. And the running trails are absolutely fantastic."

"And Anchorage is more than big enough for me," Henry laughed. "I've only been around this place for a month, and I still need some more time to adjust to all the – the people! Toothless never will, I'm sure of that."

"Toothless is a wolf," Astrid reminded him. "He's going to be nervous around a lot of people, that's natural. I wouldn't be expecting him to adjust. I mean, are you? Are you expecting him to adjust eventually?"

"No, not really, I guess." Henry said seriously, rubbing his chin. "But you were wrong about the people. Toothless is not nervous around them. Toothless never gets nervous. In public places he's just - cautious."

"Never gets nervous?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Come on, everything is scared of something. I am scared of a thousand things, and you, Mr. Smartass hunter, is nervous about a silly TV. Your pet wolf is scared of something, I guarantee it."

"Not Toothless." Henry stated firmly. "He fears nothing – except one thing."

"See? Everyone is afraid of something. And what is that one thing Toothless fears?" Astrid asked.

The waitress arrived with their food, interrupting them. Henry picked up his roll of bills and flipped a ten off the top. The waitress took it and asked if she could get them anything else.

"We're good for now, thanks," Henry said.

The waitress vanished, and Astrid pulled her plate towards her with a smile.

"Roasted beans and chicken," she inhaled, smelling the dish with closed eyes and a smile. "The greatest dish this side of the Mississippi."

"Nope." Henry grinned, unfolding his napkin. "No matter how much food I buy in the best restaurants in Anchorage, nothing will ever beat fresh-caught Kenai red salmon with raspberry flavor, spice mix, and blueberries."

Astrid looked up. "Whoa, that sounds really good!" she said. "What do you mean by fresh?"

"I mean everything," Henry grinned. "Fish that was swimming in the river only ten minutes ago, blueberries right off the stem, mixed together with some good old salt and pepper and raspberry juice."

"That actually sounds _really_ delicious," Astrid said. "I need to try it someday."

"You do." Henry grinned, and took a bite of his food. He had ordered the same thing as Astrid, roasted chicken and beans. "I should take you out hunting or fishing someday. You'd love it."

"I probably would," Astrid admitted, following Henry's example and starting on her meal. "But I have NEVER done it before, and would embarrass myself badly. Also, right now running season is just about to begin. I don't really have time for things like hunting right now. Our first pre-season race is in a mere week, and I need to be in shape."

"Umm, there's nothing wrong with your shape, Milady," Henry smirked, running his eyes up and down Astrid.

"Hey," Astrid laughed. "And what do you mean by that, huh?"

"Uh, that was just a tactful way of saying 'You're sexy as hell,'" Henry grinned sheepishly, rubbing his hair.

Astrid reddened. "Well, thank you, you big smartass."

"Anytime." Henry took another bite, turning his face away, which was turning scarlet.

Astrid elbowed Henry, hard.

"Hey!" Henry looked hurt, and rubbed his arm in mock sadness. "What was that for, Milady?"

"That was for teasing me."

"Teasing? What do you mean? I was being 100% percent serious there."

Astrid sighed, turning even redder. "Oh my God. You are a big dork. All right, thanks, I look sexy. It's the running that puts me in tiptop shape." She was regaining her composure.

"Running," Henry said, switching the topic. "God knows I've done enough of that, and now here you come and drag me onto a team. What's your deal, Milady?"

"Well, you're about to do a LOT more running," Astrid stated, taking another bite of chicken. "You're on the West High school Cross Country Running team now, and we're the up-and-coming stars of Alaska. You'd better be showing me how fast you are, smartass."

"I'll run my legs off for you," Henry chuckled. "And I'll sweat all over my good old camouflage – wait, do we wear uniforms when we run in races?"

Astrid laughed, lowering her fork. "Of course you do! My gosh, you are so ignorant! I'm changing your nickname from 'Smartass' to 'Dumbass.'"

"Hey, take it easy on the rookie!" Henry whined. "I'm totally new to this stuff. All right, I wear a uniform, cool. What else do I wear, a ponytail, makeup, and pink stockings?"

Astrid shook her head, giggling. "I need to teach you a LOT of things, Haddock. In fact, oh my goodness! Do you even have running spikes?"

Henry raised an eyebrow, his mouth full of chicken. "Running spikes?"

"Oh my GOD!" Astrid tossed her fork down. "All right, that's IT. You and I are going shopping tomorrow. No argument. You need to get geared up and you also need to get some basic Cross Country knowledge stuffed in that cocky million dollar head of yours." She picked up her fork again and took a bite, shaking her golden head.

Henry grinned. "All right, I won't argue. Royal Dictator Astrid Hofferson has decreed that we are going shopping tomorrow and her word is the law. And you can teach me everything you know. But I'll make a deal with you. I'll go shopping if you promise me one day you'll come out hunting with Toothless and me, and I'LL get a chance to teach YOU stuff."

"But I – I would be the worst hunter ever!" Astrid protested.

"And I AM the worst shopper ever." Henry laughed. "No, Milady, no backing out. You and me, hunting, as soon as we can. Deal?"

"Fine!" Astrid huffed. "Smartass."

"Perfect, Milady. So when do we go shopping tomorrow and where?"

"Umm, I can go and pick you up," Astrid said. "And -"

"No!" Henry laughed. "I'll pick YOU up. You're doing me a favor, not the other way around. Besides, my car is awesomer than yours."

"It is NOT!" Astrid was indignant. "Well, yeah, it is, I guess, but you didn't have to be so mean about it."

"No apologies." The corner of Henry's mouth was up. "I've had no car for years and now I have one, a really cool one, so I get to brag whenever I want. So where are we going to shop, Astrid?"

"Skinny Raven Sports," Astrid said authoritatively. "Best running store in town. And hey, Heather works there. She should be there tomorrow, in fact. She can help you get set up with the right stuff – and she can laugh at you, too."

"And I get to buy some 'running spikes?'"

"Yes."

"What are they? Do you like throw spikes at your opponents and try to injure them on the race course, or what?"

Astrid laughed. "OH. MY. GOD. You are as ignorant as a baby. You know what, just – forget about the gear for now. You'll learn all about it tomorrow. Gee, if you even just talk about this again I'm going to laugh so hard I'll start hiccupping."

"You'll tell me about it all now, or you'll be laughing at me tomorrow in front of other people at the store who will also laugh at me." Henry was scowling in pretend anger as he took his next bite of beans.

"I don't feel like telling you, Smartass. What if I don't?" Astrid sipped her drink, glaring playfully back at the green-eyed boy.

"Then I'll tickle you into submission."

Astrid set down her glass, swallowing. "Really?"

"You should not challenge my tickling skills," Henry grinned, leaning in towards Astrid. "I can even tickle Toothless to a frenzy. You will be no match for me."

"Was that a challenge?"

"If you want it to be."

"Tickling each other on a date in a restaurant and bar would look very weird." Astrid and Henry were mere inches away now, looking at each other's eyes.

"What do couples often do on dates that IS'NT weird?" Henry asked slyly.

The corner of Astrid's mouth went up, and in a few seconds she would have kissed Henry senseless. But something changed. Henry's playful green eyes suddenly focused on something behind her, and they narrowed and flashed with – fear?

Astrid was surprised. She whirled and looked at the thing that Henry was gazing at. To her confusion it was only the TV above the bar. The news was on, and the sound was coming, but nothing more. She turned back to Henry, wondering what the matter was.

Henry was trembling. His hands were gripping the table and his shoulders were shaking. His forearms, rippling with lean muscle, were clenched as tight as they could possibly be. His eyes were fixed on the screen of the TV.

"Henry?" Astrid asked, worried. She grabbed his arm. "Henry?"

Henry didn't even notice her. He just whispered at no one in particular, "My God."

Astrid turned back to look at the screen, and this time she paid attention to what the news anchor was actually saying. What she heard wasn't the most fun story in Alaska.

 _"_ _The two young children were viciously attacked directly outside their home in Soldotna, Alaska. Their bodies were found by their mother, both mauled and unrecognizable. The bear that attacked the children has been confirmed to be the same one that Fish and Game has been pursuing for months. The hunters call it 'The Red Death.' Before now the name was only a fancy title, but now it carries some meaning. The death of these two young children, whose names were Danny and Elisha Phelps, was a terrible tragedy. Fish and Game official Donald Larson has some words to say on the topic."_

Astrid, her eyes widening as she heard the story, turned back to Henry, wondering why this caused such a violent reaction to him.

"What is it?" She asked.

Henry was still staring at the screen, his face etched with horror. "My God," he whispered again. "I should have hunted it down while I had the chance."

"Henry?" Astrid grabbed Henry's arm and shook him. "Are you OK?"

Henry woke from what seemed to be a trance. He blinked and turned to Astrid.

"My God." He said for the third time. "Sorry, Milady."

"What is the matter with you?" Astrid demanded, still holding his arm.

"That bear." Henry was still shaking. "I – I know that bear. I – I was the one who named him the Red Death. That bear, the Red Death, is the only thing Toothless is afraid of. That bear gave me this." He tilted his face upwards and pointed to the scar on his chin. "I have hunted that bear for ten years, Astrid. Ten years. I never got him. And right before I left I could have. I knew where he was, I had him in a bad spot. I could have tracked him down and killed him. But I didn't." Henry paused. "And those two kids got killed."

"Henry," Astrid reproached softly, stroking his arm. "You didn't know."

"I should have." Henry gripped the table again, his bicep growing solid in Astrid's grip. "I told them, dammit. I told those Fish and Game people they would never get the Red Death. They won't. That bear is too smart. It will keep killing people. Thor dammit, I need to go back and finish this. I never should have let that demon go!"

"Henry," Astrid warned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the Red Death and I have a ten-year feud," Henry said grimly. "And it hasn't been finished yet. I quit. I failed. I need to end it once and for all."

Henry's phone buzzed. Blinking, Henry reached to his pocket and pulled out his IPhone. Looking at the caller ID, he swiped the screen and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Gobber."

Astrid, sitting right next to Henry, heard the voice coming from over the phone.

"Henry! Are ya near a TV? Are ya seein this, kid?"

"I am." Henry was hoarse. "I never thought – I thought the bear would have ran away."

"Weell, ya were wrong, kid," the voice said. "By God! Those poor kiddies. Jest ta think, all this time thet bear wes hangin around, and now it decided it wanted a human meal. Of all the damn things, kid."

"I know. Look, Gobber, I need to go back there and hunt it down," Henry said. "That thing is a danger and Fish and Game doesn't realize it as well as they should. He can't be killed by a few petty hunters or traps. We need experts to get that thing, and I know that beast better than anyone else in the world. I need to go down there and kill it."

"I don't think so, kid. Listen to the TV."

Henry glanced back up at the TV, and Astrid did the same.

A Fish and Game official was being interviewed on the same topic.

 _"_ _This situation is getting very intense," the official was saying. "And while Fish and Game has done all we could to eliminate this bear over the past several months, the fact remains that this bear is uniquely intelligent and drastically violent. We need to put a stop to this before any more lives are lost. That is why the Soldotna Borough has already decided that a more active presence is needed to hunt this bear down. We are bringing in ten professional hunters from Alaska and other areas, and they will hunt the bear down until it is dead. This thing cannot be allowed to continue. It is threatening our community."_

"Professional hunters?" Henry spoke into the phone, turning his attention back to his stepdad. "They're bringing up guys to do this specifically. Gee."

"Yea, they are," Gobber told Henry. "And ten of em, too. I don't think ya'll be needed, kid."

"I agree." Henry sounded relieved. "I know as well as you do that the Fish and Game people can't do shit, but ten pro hunters should be able to take care of the Red Death – I think. Whew. I'm glad about that, I really didn't want to go. I was just thinking about what happened to me that last time I faced that bear."

"So was I, kid. Ya came home lookin like ya had survived the Zombie Apocalypse. That Red Death is a nightmare."

"It is a nightmare. And hey, how the hell did you hear about Zombie Apocalypses, Gobber?"

"Well, I've ben watching a lotta movies lately. Nothin better to do round here."

"Well, whatever you do, do NOT watch the movie 'Wedding Crashers.' I don't want you getting any bullshit ideas."

"Wedding Crashers? Jesus, kid, that sounds funny as hell! That's now next on me list!"

"Dammit, Gobber!"

"And whatever YA do, Henry," his stepdad chuckled, "don't watch the movie called 'The Edge."

"The Edge – wait, how come?"

"Just don't watch it, kid. Ya'll have nightmares fer weeks. It's about these dudes that have to fight a large, ruthless bear in the wilds."

"Oh. Yeah. Fuck you for even mentioning that, Gobber."

"Ya're welcome, kid. Now what the hell are ya doin right now?"

"I'm – well, I'm on a date."

"A date! No way! Who's the unlucky girl?"

Henry hung up. Shaking his head, he grimaced to Astrid, putting away his phone. "Freakin Gobber."

Astrid chuckled, but then grew serious again. "All right, let me get this straight." Astrid pointed at the TV. "That bear that just killed two kids is your arch-enemy that you have fought for years?"

Henry looked up at Astrid, finishing putting his phone away.

"Yes."

"That bear and you are rivals?"

"We are. Both Toothless and I wear scars that he gave us. He has eleven rounds of my bullets in his red hide. We've chased each other, we've knocked each other into rivers. It was a battle to the death, and I just - left. He got the better of me."

Astrid was quiet. "Wow. That is very – unnerving."

"You're telling me." Henry picked up his fork and resumed eating. "Anyway, I'm sorry for all that. You must have thought it was really weird, and I broke my promise never to use my phone on a date."

Astrid chuckled. "Yeah, well, I understand that. I know texting on your cell phone during a date is about as rude as you can get. So many people do it, though."

"Yeah." Henry wasn't himself. He kept glancing up at the TV. "Dammit," he muttered. "I'll never be able to eat with that thing playing up there." He sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes. "The kids were five and four years old."

Astrid was quiet. She just put her arm around Henry and rubbed him comfortingly. "All right, then, let's go somewhere else. It's no fun when you're out of sorts. We're about finished anyway. Come on, let's go and relax."

"Oh boy." Henry leaned back and called for the check. Then he smiled at Astrid. "You're right, Milady, I need to forget about all this. Let's go do something fun. Want to come with me to Kincaid Park and enjoy the sun?"

Astrid smiled.

"I'd love to."

* * *

 **SEVERAL HOURS LATER...**

* * *

At eight o' clock that night Henry drove his sleek corvette into Astrid's driveway and parked. The two had spent a fun-filled, sunny afternoon in the grass of Kincaid Park, where they had lounged around, played footsie, smack-the-hand, and wrestled. Henry had won, a fact which Astrid had been sour about ever since.

"Now don't you DARE jump out of this car and open my door for me," Astrid glowered, as she unfastened her seat belt.

Henry laughed. "Like doing things for yourself, huh?"

"I've always been a tough girl that doesn't need help." Astrid folded her arms.

"Oh yeah? What about our wrestling match out at Kincaid? You didn't seem too tough once I had you pinned."

"You know what! I don't care." Astrid huffed.

Henry waggled a finger at her. "Just so you know, you'll never be able to beat me at wrestling, Milady. I've had lots of practice."

"Well, be prepared to get payback. For revenge I am going to embarrass you to death when we go shopping tomorrow."

"Aww, man!"

"Yes, Smartass," Astrid chortled smugly. "Deal with it."

She tugged open the door handle and stepped out of the car. Henry did the same, except he wore no seat belt and had no delay as Astrid had.

"What, first you want to open my door for me and now you insist on walking me to my door?" Astrid laughed, as Henry walked alongside her up to her front porch.

"I could use the exercise."

"Uh-huh."

"No, really. I was hoping I'd get enough exercise wrestling you, but you were too easy to beat. I wasn't even tired afterwards." Henry had a teasing grin on his face.

"HEY!" Astrid punched his arm.

"Ow!" Henry whined, rubbing. "Geez, the violence! You have some anger issues."

"I do," Astrid growled. "I don't like people who gloat."

"And I don't like people who hit me."

"Oh, boo-hoo."

Astrid and Henry reached Astrid's door, and they turned to face each other.

"So," Henry said. "I'll pick you up at noon tomorrow? So we can go shopping and you can tease me to your heart's content?"

"Yeah." Astrid scowled. "And if you're late I'm going to slap you silly."

"It'd be very interesting to see how many times you could slap me before I got mad at you."

"Want to find out?"

"Not particularly. Slapping isn't a very nice way to say good morning. Or good night."

"Well then I won't. And hey, Henry, thanks for the – the date."

Henry grinned. "Anytime."

Astrid tilted her chin up and looked at Henry.

"You know, there's a lot better way to say goodnight," Henry grinned.

And kissed her.

Astrid's eyes widened in surprise as Henry's lips met hers. However, she realized she didn't mind – at all. It was great. She reached around Henry's neck and tugged him in closer, plowing her fingers through his brown hair. Henry reached up and placed his hand on her chin and the back of her neck, which sent fiery tingles running down her spine.

After a good ten seconds Astrid released Henry and stepped back. And for the first time since knowing him, Astrid saw Henry completely knocked off balance. He was blinking and looked like he was on another planet altogether.

"Hello?" Astrid laughed, slapping him on the cheek lightly. "Anyone home in there?"

Henry blinked and focused on Astrid. "Yeah," he said, and had to clear his throat. "Just – wow."

Astrid laughed. "You're a big dork," she said. "Better be here to pick me up on time tomorrow."

Henry kept blinking. "Umm, yeah. Right. I – I will. Um, see you then?"

Astrid couldn't help it. He was so adorably awkward. She leaned up and gave him another one, right on the lips.

"For the road." She smiled, and then opened her door and went in, her face a scarlet flame.

Henry was still so dazed that it took him three seconds to realize that Astrid was gone.

* * *

Henry had finally shaken off the excitement of having kissed Astrid. Still, however, the tingle of her warm lips on his was fresh in his memory. It had knocked him totally off center and sent his mind flying to parts unknown. But, after all, it was the first time he had ever kissed a girl. In fact, he was still wondering how he had gotten the balls to do it in the first place. But after all, he had fought bears and mountain lions – kissing a girl was no problem, right?

Wrong.

He chuckled about that as he turned his car off the smooth pavement of the main road and took a dirt path barely two cars wide into the woods off on the side. At first there were a few houses, but as he went further down, they faded entirely and only trees and bushes were visible. The road also thinned out to a trail that was barely big enough for Henry's car. After another five minutes of that path, Henry emerged into a clearing which was often used as a campground. Several remains of bonfires and camping supplies were scattered all over.

The campground was directly in the shadow of the Chugach Mountains, and this particular one was directly below a large one. It was on ground that was only barely level – in fact, it was already starting to slope up to the long climb of the peak.

Henry pulled his Corvette up next to one of the campfire remains, and stepped out of his car, reaching to the whistle around his neck. Even in the city where Toothless was never available, he wore it out of sheer force of habit. He needed it now, however.

Raising his old metal whistle to his mouth, Henry blew three long blasts and then sat back down in his car with the door open. Abruptly a long, joyous howl came from the mountainside, signaling that Toothless was there and had heard the call.

Immediately Henry blew again, twice. This was his prearranged signal for Toothless that he didn't just need his pal alone. He could bring the pack with him. In fact, Henry really wanted him to – he hadn't met Toothless' new group of furry friends.

It took around twenty minutes before Henry was obliged with the presence of his wolf. He was sitting on the seat with the car door open, working on what was his first taste of 'homework.'

Then there was a rustle in the bushes, and the big black wolf with his familiar small limp emerged. Upon seeing Henry and the car, he barked joyfully and bounded forward.

"Hey, bud!" Henry laughed, dropping to one knee as Toothless approached, spreading his arms. Toothless ignored the embrace, and leapt upon Henry with a happy growl, hammering the freckled boy to the ground beside the Corvette.

"Yeeeoooww!" Henry yelled, as Toothless began to jump on his stomach and lick his face repeatedly. "Aww, cut it, bud! For the love of Thor!"

But Toothless would not be calmed down. He kept licking Henry's face until it was dripping with wolf slobber.

"All right, that's it, bud!" Henry began to wrestle Toothless off of him. "I know it's been a full day since we saw each other, but come on! You've crossed the line!"

The pair wrestled on the ground with a loving playfulness and yet with ferocious aggression. To anyone watching, the fight would have looked real. But in the end, when Toothless pinned Henry down and started to 'chew' his face off, Henry laughed in defeat and Toothless chuckled deep in his throat.

"All right, you win, you win," Henry laughed, wriggling his arms, which were held down by Toothless' paws.

Toothless growled triumphantly and let Henry stand. He did so, wiping slobber off his face.

"What a big boo-boo you are," Henry muttered, shaking off his wet hands. "I'm serious, you know that doesn't wash out, right?"

Toothless curled his upper lip, showing just how much he cared.

"Well, thanks, bud," Henry growled sarcastically. "And how do you like it out here? Have you met a new pack yet and kicked the Alpha's ass to take over?"

Toothless gave a wolfish grin and howled, dancing around. In a few seconds his wolf pack emerged from the trees, and Henry ducked into his car to pull out his jerky – and his gun. After all, the wolves would be strangers, and he was taking no chances.

He looked up again abruptly as he realized that the wolf pack was coming WAY too close. He cocked his pistol and whirled.

And stared.

The wolf pack was the SAME one that Toothless had run with in Soldotna.

"My God," Henry laughed, recovering his surprise and pocketing his gun. "Ha ha! Sorry, guys."

He turned to look at Toothless in shock. "You brought them all up here, bud?"

Toothless was grinning, his teeth bared.

"Well, I'll be beat." Henry stared at the wolf pack. "Well, it's good to see all you guys again!" He dropped to one knee and pulled out his bag of jerky. "You're looking good, Tiger! And Zoe, your fur looks a lot lighter. Getting your summer colors, huh?" Henry grinned, handing jerky to the friendly wolves as they circled around him. He had a name for each one that they answered to when they felt like it. There was a total of seven, besides Toothless, which made a menacing and dangerous pack of eight elite wolves. Henry had named them Tiger, Grey, Freddie, Phil, Zoe, Kitty, and Bella.

Tiger was the Beta. He had an odd grey-and-black coat that gave him a stripish appearance, hence the name. He was almost as big as Toothless and fully as vicious, but Toothless was more intelligent, which was why Tiger had never been able to become the Alpha, despite numerous attempts to battle and defeat Henry's black friend.

Grey was the Alpha that Toothless had displaced when he had joined the pack. The wolf was old, careful, and wise, and was going to die soon. However, his strength hadn't fully left him yet, and was still a huge asset to the pack, even one as prime as Toothless' was. Henry called him Grey, in reference to his dull fur and stony eyes, but sometimes Old Grey.

Freddie was the youngest of them all and the most reckless. Henry joked that he would charge hell with a bucket of water – and burn his face off and crawl back whining. Freddie was covered in scars of all kinds, and Henry had forgotten the amount of times Toothless had dragged him to Freddie so that he could pull out all the porcupine quills that the brash wolf had gotten in a foolish encounter. Learning was apparently not in Freddie the wolf's dictionary.

Phil was the most useless male wolf in the pack. He was lazy, slow, but seemed able to eat enough to be as big as an elephant. The only time he was ever any assistance was when the kill was being dragged down and needed to be finished off. Then Phil would find one little burst of energy and do it – with ruthless efficiency. That was the only reason he was considered worthy of the pack. Phil was also the best howler of the group.

Kitty did not live up to her timid name. She was the Alpha female, stronger than all the others, and a ruthless hunter. Toothless liked her. However, she was growing old, and her years of bearing pups was coming to a close, along with her life. She was likely to be displaced as Alpha female soon, but she was apparently determined to keep the spot for as long as possible.

The second strongest female wolf was Zoe. For some random reason Henry always imagined it spelled 'Zoe' but pronounced it 'Zoey.'* This wolf was quick and fast on her feet, and was always there in the roughest of all the battles when the lesser wolves dropped out. She was not the Alpha female yet, but Henry guessed by the way she looked at Kitty that Zoe would be soon.

Bella was the second youngest, next to Freddie. She was belligerent, strong, and aggressive, especially for a female. Henry always had to watch as he fed her, as she would often almost bite his hand off with her eagerness and antagonism. However, she was a very useful hunter, as her nose was second only to Toothless'. Henry had never seen a wolf that matched Toothless at anything.

Henry was thoroughly surprised that the entire pack, especially Old Grey, had moved hundreds of miles north to join Toothless in his new habitat. He had no idea the group of wolves was so tight-knit.

"You're hungry, aren't you, Phil?" Henry laughed. "Geez, you eat like a pig. Come on Kitty, here you go."

The wolves had stopped being nervous or careful around Henry a long time ago. They came up to him and wrestled each other to get at the jerky which Henry offered. Even though Henry was now armed with his pistol, they ignored it. Henry had come hunting with the pack enough to the point where they knew he was their friend and ally.

"Aw, Old Grey," Henry said sorrowfully, as the big wolf sat down tiredly at his feet. "You've got a few too many years behind you, boy. Eh? How's that jerky? Enjoy it, I think you need the strength, old pal."

Bella, the aggressive female, all of a sudden attacked Henry's arm in an attempt to get the bag of jerky.

"Hey!" Henry shouted, and leapt to his feet, taking the bag and spinning in in all directions, emptying the jerky in a wide semicircle around the campground. The wolves all spread like lightning, hurtling all over the area trying to get the fallen food.

Henry laughed, and tucked the empty bag into his pocket. He squatted by Old Grey, who was too tired to chase after the meat.

"Aw, you're a good wolf, Grey," Henry said, stroking the fur. "Too bad you're going soon. But you led the pack well, before Toothless came along."

Henry looked up grinning at Toothless, who sauntered towards Henry and Grey.

"Hey bud," Henry asked. "Look, on Monday we've got this thingy at our school called 'Bring your Pet to School Day. I know you're not my pet, but this girl I know wants to meet you, and you should get a taste of more people anyway."

Toothless was staring uncomprehendingly for a few seconds, but when Henry said the word 'taste' his eyes flashed and he licked his lips.

"No, NO, not THAT kind of taste!" Henry laughed. "It's just a figure of speech – Goddamm it, you don't understand. I was trying to say that you get to meet new people. OK?"

Toothless was still standing with a puzzled look on his face.

"All right, put it like this!" Henry chuckled. "Three moons from now – MORNING – be here. Early. And I will pick you up in my car. Do you understand that?"

Toothless did.

"Good. Then do that, and I'll pick you up and take you someplace fun."

Toothless looked at his friend eagerly, and yelped questioningly at Henry.

Henry sighed. "And yes, there will be fish there."

* * *

 ** _*LOL! Arvin, you know what I'm talking about… :)_**

* * *

 **So, that chapter is done. And please, everyone, kick me in the ass and tell me to write faster, cuz it works. I feel like I have to write when people really want me to… and besides, I have some time now.**

 **So just drop off a review telling me what you thought, any comments, suggestions, anything, or, most importantly, NAG ME! Thanks a bunch. :)**

 **NatB.**


	13. Meeting a Wolf

**Well… Hi.**

 **So, when I first started writing FanFics, a friend of mine laughed at me, telling me that only losers with no life and no time wrote FanFictions. At the time I just laughed, because obviously my friend was teasing me, but he was right about one thing; people who write FanFics have the time to do it.**

 **And that's exactly what I didn't have the past four months. I've been so crazy busy and when I did manage to find time to write I couldn't focus. In fact, I still wouldn't have had time to write unless I hadn't fractured my foot. A sixteen year old that can't walk without crutches gets bored, and so thank my two cracked metatarsal bones for this chapter. LOL. But, after a LONG wait, here is chapter 13. I'm really sorry for the delay, but want to reassure you that I am NOT going to abandon this story without giving you guys notice.**

 **My apologies once again, and guest reviewers, here you go. You probably don't even remember writing these, it was so long ago, but I'm still going to reply. There was so many that I didn't want to clutter up the AN at the start, so they're down at the bottom. :)**

 **And a HUGE thanks to all of you who nagged me like I asked last chapter. I know the results don't seem ideal, but your encouragement made me write this chapter faster than I've ever written any before. It had gotten deleted, and I redid it and finished it in three days. So thank you all! :)**

* * *

"Now, whatever you do, DON'T be an asshole and just honk your horn," Henry chuckled to himself as he pulled his Corvette into Astrid's driveway. He had seen people do that in movies when they picked people up, and Henry thought it was one of the rudest things he had ever seen. If a guy didn't have the decency to get out of car and get his girl, then he had no business with a girl.

Putting the sleek black car in park, Henry stepped out of the door and swung the door shut. Taking a step backward, he took a good, long look at Astrid's house. He had seen it before, but hadn't fully realized how large it was. Astrid's parents were rich. Henry was rich too, but he had selected a small, compact house, and had none of the finery and size that Astrid's did.

Admiring the house, he put his keys in his pocket and walked up the stone steps to the front door. At the top he reached out and knocked on the door, and then immediately laughed at himself. There was a doorbell right next to him, which he could have simply pushed, but knocking was a habit he had from Soldotna, since there had been no doorbells on the cabins that he went to.

He was about to correct his mistake and ring the doorbell, but then the door opened and Astrid was there smiling at him.

"Hi Henry!" she smiled. "Come on in." She opened the door wide.

"How are you, Milady?" Henry grinned, stepping in the house. "Your hair looks great."

Astrid's hair was not in a ponytail like it had been before, and it was flowing over her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Henry was in love with it already.

"Oh," Astrid laughed, running a hand down the sheen. "My hair. I need to go fix this."

"Um, it doesn't need fixing," Henry chuckled.

"No, you big dork," Astrid laughed. "I need to go put it in a ponytail. I'm a runner! What if someone challenges me to a race while I'm out? I can't have it flying around in my face."

"Can't argue with that, I guess," Henry laughed. `

"Yeah, come on in," Astrid told Henry, closing the door. "Come in and meet my mom. She says she wants to see you. I'll call her while I go get ready."

"Sure," Henry answered, flipping off his shoes. He was wearing black sneakers, a habit he had only recently gotten into since his move. Back in Soldotna he had only worn leather brogues. "Even I know that girls take forever to get ready to go anywhere."

"Oh, shut up," Astrid reprimanded, giving Henry a deprecating glance.

Grinning, Henry followed Astrid in his sock feet through a wide doorway into a luxurious living room. As they entered, a grey and brown German Shepherd dog leapt up from the rug and bounded over to Henry excitedly.

"Hey, doggie!" Henry dropped to one knee and met the dog as she came, petting her. "Aw, there's a good dog. I didn't know you had one, Astrid."

"That's Stormy," Astrid told him. "I've had her for a long time now and I absolutely adore her. She likes you, too. That's kinda surprising, since she doesn't usually take to people so soon."

"I just love dogs," Henry grinned, scratching Stormy around the ears. "And they usually like me back."

"Well, I believe it," Astrid laughed. "And hey, go ahead and sit down – I'll dig up my mom, she's around somewhere. There's some munchies in the bowl on that table, and oh, you can take that thing off the couch."

"Whoa," Henry said with surprise, looking at the couch. A fine-looking compound bow was lying there. "I thought you said you never hunted, Milady. That's a hunting bow, all right."

"I don't hunt," Astrid told him. "That bow is my dad's. A PSE Fever* or something like that. It got uncovered when we moved up here and my dad's become obsessed with it, trying to fix it. That's why it's down here and not in the attic."

"Wait, what's wrong with it?" Henry sat down on the couch next to the bow and picked it up. Stormy hopped up next to him and curled up at his side.

"I don't know," Astrid laughed. "I don't know anything about bows! I think my dad said the scope didn't align right or something. Anyway, I've got to go find my mom and get ready. Stormy will keep you company."

"Great," Henry replied, bending over to look at the PSE Fever. Biting his lip in concentration, he began to fiddle with the scope. Astrid smiled at the picture and left, strolling down the hall into the kitchen, where her mother sat at the counter, scrolling on her phone.

"Hey mom," Astrid said, walking up to the countertop.

"Yeah honey?" Ingrid looked up.

"Henry's here."

"Who?"

"Henry, the boy you wanted to meet."

"Oh!" Ingrid got to her feet. "Your boyfriend, right?"

"What?! Oh, mom, no – or, not yet, at least," Astrid stammered.

Ingrid laughed softly. "I can read you like a book, honey. You really like Henry. Is he in the living room?"

"Yeah. He's poring over dad's bow like it's a treasure." Astrid smiled. "I'm going to head upstairs and finish getting ready."

"Another date, huh?" Ingrid winked at her daughter.

"Oh, shut up," Astrid laughed, and ran up the stairs.

"Ha! Fixed it," Henry grinned, snapping the last piece back in place on the bow and arrow and laying it down on the table next to him. "Astrid's dad doesn't know how to repair things, Stormy. That took like two seconds."

Henry reached down to stroke Stormy's back again. The German Shepherd was curled up against him and seemed entirely content. As he petted, Henry heard footsteps in the door and looked up.

A woman stood in the doorway, with a caring smile on her face and a twinkle in her blue eyes. "Hi there," she smiled. "You must be Henry."

"That's me," Henry grinned, easing Stormy off his lap to get up. "And you're Mrs. Hofferson?" He shook hands with Ingrid.

"Just call me Ingrid," Ingrid laughed, giving Henry a smooth handshake. "I've never been much for the whole 'Mrs.' thing. It makes me feel old. I've still got a little ways to go yet!"

Henry laughed, and Ingrid gestured to the couch. "Go ahead and take a seat. I'm afraid Stormy seems to have adopted you."

Henry grinned and sat back down on the couch, while Ingrid took a seat in a rocking chair at right angles to him. Henry began to stroke Stormy's fur again as Ingrid spoke.

"So you're taking Astrid out on a date, are you?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "A date? If she wants to call shopping a date, then sure." He grinned.

"She did say a date," Ingrid said cheekily.

"Well then I'll take that," Henry grinned. "Your daughter's a fun girl."

"Oh, she really is." Ingrid crossed her legs. "I know since I'm her parent I'm supposed to say all kinds of nice things about her, but honestly, I can do it without hesitation. She really is a dear."

Henry smiled. "Well then I guess I'm lucky." He leaned back and changed the subject. "So Astrid says you folks just moved up from New Orleans. I'm just curious, after spending so much time down there, don't you find Alaska rather cold?"

Ingrid laughed. "Well, yes," she admitted. "Right now it isn't too bad, since its summer time. It is not as hot as our summers, but we're getting used to it. Its winter that I'm terrified of. Astrid seems to think the snow and all will be great fun, but my Goodness," Ingrid shivered, "It can get as low as NEGATIVE FIFTY degrees!"

Henry laughed. "Yep, and lower than that. Usually it doesn't get that cold, and stays at a very tolerable single digit temperature. But then there are those days when it's so icy that your piss freezes in the air before it hits the ground."

Ingrid giggled, and Henry reddened. "Sorry," he muttered, looking down. "That's the problem with just moving up from nowhere, I always forget to watch my language."

Ingrid waved a hand. "Forget it. I'm the mother of a teenager, I hear that kind of _shit_ every day."

Henry and Ingrid laughed.

"So I hear you moved up from the country yourself," Ingrid commented, leaning back in her rocking chair.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it the country," Henry said. "Wilderness would be a better term. Not much open fields and grassy plains in Soldotna, just lots of swamps and trees. But yeah, I moved up from there, and I'm glad of it. Being a loner for so long really showed me how much I've been missing."

Ingrid nodded sympathetically. "Well, you're all fine now and that's all that matters, right?"

Henry was about to reply, but then Astrid appeared in the doorway, her hair in a ponytail and a neat coat on.

"You ready yet?" Henry asked her. "I am, but I'm afraid Stormy doesn't want to let me leave."

Astrid 'awwed' as she saw Stormy happily snuggled up against Henry's side. "That's so cute."

"Hey, I'm fine with driving her to the store if you want," Henry said, getting up.

"No," Astrid said firmly. "This may just be a habit from hot and humid New Orleans, but I am never going to leave a pet in the car alone and Skinny Raven doesn't let pets into the store. So no Stormy with us."

"Well, all right then," Henry replied. "Poor Stormy has to stay at home."

"Oh, she's already been out today," Astrid said, reaching over and pulling Henry away from the dog. "And you need to get going. You were waiting on me, now I'm waiting on you. Let's go."

She reached up, grabbed the loose hair at the back of Henry's head, and tugged it.

"Ow!" Henry grabbed Astrid's wrist and pulled her hand away. "Why so mean, Blondie?" He turned pleadingly to Ingrid. "Can you please tell your daughter to stop abusing me?"

Ingrid laughed. "You don't need me, Henry. Something tells me you're strong enough to lay Astrid over your knee and give her a good spanking yourself."

"MOM!" Astrid yelled.

"Oh, get on with you two," Ingrid laughed, waving her hand. "Go have fun shopping… or whatever else you plan on doing."

Henry walked to the door and put on his shoes while Astrid glowered for a few seconds at Ingrid, who winked at her.

"All right, all ready," Henry said, pulling out his car keys. "Let's go, Astrid."

"Right," Astrid said, poking Henry in the ribs. "Move it."

"See you later, Mrs. Hofferson," Henry called, as he and Astrid stepped out the front door.

"Yep! Have fun," Ingrid called, and Astrid shut the door.

"Mom can be mean sometimes," Astrid muttered, as she and Henry stood together on the front porch.

"What?" Henry threw an arm around Astrid and chuckled. "I think she's really nice."

"Humph." Astrid huffed, as Henry dropped his arm to let her go around his car. "She just likes to tease me."

"Well, so do I, so we're perfect for each other," Henry grinned, opening the car door and swinging into the driver's seat. Astrid did the same on the passenger's side, closing the door smoothly and buckling her seat belt. Henry started the car with a voom.

"Seat belt," Astrid muttered at him as he backed out of the driveway.

"Come on, Blondie," Henry scolded. "I've told you I find seat belts restrictive. They take away my God-given freedom."

"Oh, grow up," Astrid shook her head.

"I grew up too early." Henry spun the wheel over and drove down the street. "I mean, I'm like almost a half foot taller than you – shortie."

"Hey!" Astrid punched Henry in the arm. "Don't you start 'shortying' me! I'm the perfect size!"

"Yes, perfect size," Henry agreed with an impish grin. "A good five inches BELOW me."

"If we weren't in a car right now…" Astrid threatened, shaking her fist at Henry playfully. "I can't beat you up right now, but at least I can do this."

She tugged on his hair, hard.

"Ow!"

Henry said it, but Astrid got the feeling that Henry didn't even feel it. He seemed utterly immune to pain, or at least that sort.

"Stop being such a baby," Astrid admonished. "And really, if you don't keep this hair in check, I'll be tugging it all the time. It's a mess. Actually, let me fix it up a bit." Spinning her fingers deftly, she began a small braid behind Henry's right ear.

"What are doing, Milady…?" Henry muttered. "I'm trying to drive."

"Yeah, good, so you can't stop me." Astrid gave him an evil laugh. "I'm braiding it. When your hair is long enough to braid you need to cut it."

"Oh no," Henry argued. "My hair is awesome, and it stays."*

"It's not awesome!" Astrid retorted.

"Then why do you like playing with it so much?"

"Oh, shut up." Astrid finished the braid and wrapped it with a hairband from her pocket. "There. NOW it's kinda awesome – I mean, after all, I made the braid."

"Haha! I see my arrogance has rubbed off," Henry grinned triumphantly. "It's good to see you take after the perfect role model."

"My God!" Astrid cuffed Henry's arm again. "You won't sound so smart in a few minutes! Wait till we start shopping and you'll wish you hadn't given me such a hard time."

"I'm sorry, Milady." Henry took an arm off the wheel to give Astrid a squeeze. "Maybe I'm just holding as much of my pride as I can before my approaching doom."

"You'd better be," Astrid grumbled, but she didn't seem angry as she nuzzled her head on Henry's arm. "Because your doom is coming. When we get to Skinny Raven sports, you're dead."

"Hmm, are you and Heather going to kill me or just torture me?" Henry asked.

"You'll kill us both if you don't get your arm off my shoulders and back on the wheel," Astrid scowled.

"Naw, I like it there," Henry said, giving Astrid another squeeze. But he then took his arm away and put it on the wheel. "Happy now, blondie?"

"Kinda," Astrid smiled.

Henry gave her an impish look out of the corner of his eye, then stopped at a stop sign.

"Well," he said. "I have no idea where I'm going, so give me some directions, huh?"

* * *

 **20 MINUTES LATER**

* * *

"Hey, welcome to Skinny Raven Sports, bitches!"

Heather grinned at Henry and Astrid before walking from her station behind the counter. Henry and Astrid had just strolled in and been greeted by Heather, who was clearly ready for fun. She sauntered up to Henry and looked up at him. "What can I help you two clowns find today?"

Henry laughed. "Look at this!" He tapped Heather's name tag on her chest. "What's up with you, need a name tag to let people know who you are? What happened to all your popularity, huh?"

"Oh, shut up," Heather laughed, shoving Henry's arm away. "It's a requirement for this awesome job. Of course you wouldn't know anything about awesome."

"And you," Astrid scowled, poking Henry in the ribs, "are not supposed to be teasing anyone. We're in a store, we're going to be making fun of YOU all day."

"Well then get to it," Henry grinned. "What are we here to get?"

"Running spikes first," Astrid announced immediately.

Henry sighed. "We've done this once before. What are running spikes?"

Heather and Astrid laughed, Heather doubling over.

"Just hearing you say that!" she laughed. "Astrid texted me last night saying you didn't know what they were. I didn't believe her at first. Sorry not sorry, Henry, but you're standing next to two girls who have ran cross country and track their entire lives, and you don't even know the basics! Oh dear me." She wiped her eyes.

"Do you know what else he said yesterday?" Astrid chuckled, tapping Heather's arm. "He asked if running spikes were _things you threw at your opponents to slow them down_."

Heather and Astrid roared with laughter, and Henry cut a wry face.

"All right, all right, the jokes on me," he grumbled. "I don't get it but I guess it's on me. So can I learn what they really are now?"

"Well," Heather said, straightening up and wiping her eyes again, "they are NOT things you throw at your opponents! THAT'D get you DQed in about two seconds, believe me! No. Follow me." Heather led Astrid and Henry across the store, shaking her head. "Dumb customers," she muttered, leading the way into an aisle. "All right, THESE are running spikes, Henry. Feast your eyes."

"Shoes." Henry muttered. He stared down the aisle, where shelves upon shelves of small, light looking shoes stood.

"Not shoes, you dummy!" Heather teased. "These are not shoes! These are special. They are called running spikes and that's what you will call them."

"They look like shoes to me."

"Well you are an incompetent rookie and I am an expert, and these are not shoes," Heather said smugly.

"Bossy." Henry grinned. "I don't get it though. Why are they called spikes?"

"Because you screw the spikes into the base of the sole," Heather said, reaching up and taking off one of the spikes on display. "See those little holes there in the bottom? The spikes are threaded into those holes with a spike wrench, and they give you better grip."

"Gotcha," Henry murmured, looking at the sole. "I get it now."

"Good," Astrid laughed. "Now you need to get some of these." She reached up and picked another pair from the display. "What size are you?"

"I don't know."

Astrid and Heather turned to stare. "What?!" Astrid laughed. "You don't know your own SHOE size? I know you're new to society, Henry, but that's just unacceptable."

Henry had a slight smirk on his freckled face. "Oh, I know my shoe size," he said. "But we're not talking about SHOES here, are we?"

Astrid opened her mouth and then closed it again. She then bit her lip to stop giggling and then turned to look at Heather.

"Well," Henry grinned, tapping Heather on the head. "Let me quote you, huh? 'I am an incompetent rookie and you are an expert.' If these are not shoes, why do they size them that way?"

"I – I just said they were special shoes!" Heather glowered.

"But they are shoes." The corner of Henry's mouth was up.

"I hate you," Heather growled.

"HA HA HA!" Astrid laughed, pointing at Heather. "He got you, honey! The look on your face!"

"You know what, you two can go and giggle somewhere else," Heather growled. "What happened to our plan to tease Henry as a team?" She turned her back to put the running spike in her hand back on the shelf. "Lovers always stick together," she muttered.

"Heather!" Astrid warned, and turned to look at Henry. He grinned and winked at her.

"All right, no more letting you tease US," Astrid announced. "You're think you're so smart, don't you?"

"I know I'm smart, but whatever," Henry chuckled, and Astrid cuffed him. "All right, you rascal. So what shoe or running spike size are you?"

"Nines," Henry laughed. "And I want black."

"But black is for dark and enemy colors," Astrid protested.

"Black is power," Henry smiled. "Toothless reminds me of that every time we wrestle. I want black, blondie."

"Pick black and orange," Astrid argued. "That's West High School colors, and you're going to run for them."

"West High School," a strange, pleasant voice said from behind them. "I thought I heard you talking, Astrid."

Astrid, Heather, and Henry turned to see a tall, toned, smooth faced boy with a pleasant smile walking up to them, a box under his arm.

"Eugene!" Astrid said, surprised. "It's good to see you." She shook the boy's hand, and Heather did the same. "Henry, this is Eugene Franz. He's the best runner in Alaska and one of the best runners in the entire United States."

"Don't flatter me, Astrid," Eugene smiled, extending his hand to Henry. "I'm just Eugene, without all the fancy titles."

"Henry," Henry said, taking Eugene's hand. They shook, and Henry noticed that he had a firm, smooth handshake. Pretty much everything about Eugene was smooth, from his voice to his combed, neat, blonde hair.

"Are you a runner too, Henry?" Eugene asked.

"Not yet," Henry laughed. "This is going to be my first season. I'm looking forward to it, though, it seems fun. These two girls are getting me set up."

"Well you're in good hands, then," Eugene chuckled. "You know Astrid here is like the new young star of Alaska, right?"

"Yeah, she's pretty fast," Henry agreed, glancing at Astrid with a smile. "But she thinks I can beat her, so I'm here, getting geared up."

"Astrid thinks you're fast?" Eugene's expression changed slightly and he ran his eyes up and down Henry with newfound interest. When his calm blue eyes came back level with Henry's there was a gleam in them – a gleam of competition.

"You've got a good build," he said with a smooth smile. "You've got strong legs and good core. And the freckles and auburn hair, I bet you've got good running genes."

Henry laughed. "Sounds like you know what you're talking about, but I'll just have to see. First race is in two weeks and I don't even know what spikes are yet. I'll have to see."

"We'll have to see, you mean." Eugene smiled again. "Maybe I'll see you at my shoulder during the race, huh?"

Henry smiled back. "If I can get that fast I'll be happy with myself."

"All right, stow the challenges, boys," Heather laughed, giving Eugene a playful shove. He recovered with a smooth light step backward.

"Save it for the first race and you can see who's faster," Heather commanded. "Can I help you find anything, Eugene?"

"No, actually, I was just picking up my spikes I ordered," Eugene told her, displaying his box. "Then I heard you back here and thought I'd say hi. It's been a while."

"It has," Astrid said. "You were off in Europe, right? How's your family?"

"Doing well," Eugene told her. "And, actually, speaking of family, should get going. I've got to get back to South Anchorage for dinner and I'm driving. Nice to see you girls again, and nice to meet you, Henry. I assume you'll be running for West high?"

"Yep," Henry grinned. "And you run for?"

"South." Eugene grinned. "Rivals."

Henry nodded. "So when do we race each other for the first time?"

Eugene laughed. "Already getting prepared to tear down my meathouse, huh? Naw, I'm just kidding you. We've got our first meet in a few weeks. I'll see you then."

Henry nodded. "See you then. Nice to meet you, Eugene."

Eugene shook hands with Henry again, and with goodbyes to the girls, walked out. Smoothly.

"What a guy," Heather commented, as Eugene left the store.

"He's a fantastic runner," Astrid told Henry, as they turned back to the shelves. "He runs a 15:03 5K time, which is just unbelievably good. He's a junior and has won state here in Alaska for two straight years, with no competition at all. His team won the State Championship last year, too. He's a phenomenal runner."

"I liked him," Henry said. "He seemed like a nice guy, too."

"He is," Heather put in. "Most guys who are so good kind of look down on the other runners like me who aren't superstars. But Eugene's different. He'll give anyone time of day. He'll congratulate the last place runner for the effort just as much as the first place runner."

"Gotcha," Henry said.

"He was born in Sweden," Astrid put in. "Lots of good runners from that area of the world, and his family still lives there. He goes there every summer to train, that's where he was. He just got back."

"Well, he's going to be very tough for me to beat in a race," Henry sighed. "He's not just a runner, I could tell that. He's smart, too. Knows how to run."

"Yes he is," Heather laughed. "4.0 GPA. Every college recruiter's dream."

"Right," Astrid agreed. "And if you're going to beat him, Henry, we need to get you some spikes! I still say black and orange colors."

"Fine," Henry conceded. "Black and orange it is. Heather, use your 'expert skills' and find me some."

Heather sighed. "Size nine in black and orange? You're lucky we have a large selection, that's a tall order." She led the way down the aisle till she came to a set of boxes. "Here you go, nice and pretty black and orange spikes. Size nine. Try them on and tell me what you know about spikes."

"Well…" Henry said, taking the box from Heather.

"Right. You know NOTHING about spikes. So listen to us, and even if they don't work out don't get sore when you have to pick another color."

"You know Heather," Henry laughed, sitting down on the fitting bench to take off his shoes, "I get the feeling if you treated all of your customers like this you'd be fired."

"She can treat you like this because you deserve it," Astrid said, rapping Henry on the head. "You act like you own the world, Haddock."

"Well, good," Henry laughed. "I've always wanted to own the world. You know, think of all the things you'd have, I mean -"

"Oh, just shut up and try on those spikes!" Astrid groaned. "Why do I even put up with you!? Do as I say for once!"

"Yes, Milady," Henry said obediently, and bent down to take off his shoes.

"You need new socks, too," Astrid commanded. "When you run you don't use normal socks."

"So special socks, too?" Henry grinned, taking the spikes out of the box and whistling. "Whoa. These are some badass looking shoes. But they're so light, they're practically socks themselves."

"That's actually a very accurate observation," Heather commented, standing above Henry. "They are pretty much socks with laces and a hard sole. Honestly, they're not very safe to run in, you only wear them for races. They aren't very robust or protective."

"But if I only wear these for races," Henry asked, sliding his shoe into them, "Then that's not too often. What do I wear when I'm just training? Astrid was nice enough to tell me that I need to train, but not nice enough to say what shoes to wear while doing it."

"Oh shut up," Astrid growled. "I was actually trying to help you when I was telling you about training. God, I'll never help you again, you ass. But you wear trainers, running shoes, when you train, dummy. They have a lot more support and they're way more comfy, too."

"I don't know, these are pretty comfortable, too," Henry said, lacing up the spikes.

"Well, trainers are more comfortable," Heather asserted. "But those fit? Are you sure?"

"This feels good," Henry stated, getting up and shaking his foot. "Nice and snug but not too tight."

"Humph, you got lucky on the first try," Heather said wryly, feeling the shoe for sizing. "I was going to give you shit about picking the wrong size."

"I'm sure," Henry laughed, taking off the spike and putting it back in the box. "So that was pretty easy. What's next?"

The next hour was a rough one for Henry. Astrid and Heather took every opportunity to haunt him about his lack of knowledge, poor selection, and bad tastes in colors. They insisted on getting everything he could possibly need, and mocking him relentlessly every step of the way.

"But my hair is awesome!" Henry complained, as Astrid put a headband over his head. "The headband doesn't make it look as cool!"

"It keeps your messy hair out of your face!" Astrid told him, as Henry adjusted the black band. "You'll thank me later, when you're in your first race! There's nothing more irritating than having your hair in your face while running, believe me."

"Especially when it's as ugly as yours," Heather grinned saucily. "The pain of running is bad enough, but seeing that nasty brown mess would be the last straw for me."

"Why, thank you," Henry muttered, as Heather gave Astrid a high five.

"You should just be lucky you have your favorite color, black," Astrid told him. "I would have made you wear pink."

"I'll stick with the black," Henry said quickly, taking it off as Heather and Astrid laughed. "And you said that was my last item, please tell me that was a true statement."

"It was," Heather said, taking the headband from Henry and putting it in the bag that contained all the other thing Henry was getting. "And just in time, too, my shift is ending and my dad is coming to pick me up. Come up to the counter, this way."

"Lucky for me," Henry muttered, heaving a deep sigh of freedom as the trio walked to the front counter of the store to check out. "But I do pity your father, Heather."

Heather turned and hit Henry with the bag of gear, and he yelped.

"Stop the violence!" he pleaded. "Geez, you girls are vicious, this was the worst hour of my life except one. Let a boy alone."

"All right, the shopping is over, I can say sorry for all that we did to you now," Astrid said, wrapping an arm around Henry's waist and snuggling up against his side. "I really actually feel bad for you, Smarty. You're so ignorant and stupid about all things running related."

"How comforting you are," Henry muttered sarcastically, but bent down to kiss Astrid on the top of the head. "I guess I deserved it."

"Yes you did," Astrid smiled, poking Henry in the side affectionately.

"All right, lovebirds," Heather announced, coming up to the counter. "Stop snuggling up and pay up, Henry. Checkout time."

Henry turned to the other employee at the counter, gesturing to Heather. "Hey, Mr. Is Heather always this annoying?"

Heather's coworker laughed. "Pretty much, am I right Heather?"

"Nuts." Heather was taking items out of the bag and scanning them for the checkout. "You're just jealous of my skills, David."

"In your dreams," David grinned, turning back to Henry. "Did you find everything all right today?"

"Dear God, I hope so," Henry sighed, plowing his hand through his shaggy hair. "That was an ordeal I do not want to go through again."

"Good!" Heather said triumphantly, finishing with her checkout process. "You needed taking down, Henry. I've only spent one day in school with you, but I knew you right away that were a cocky jerk."

"I went into it not with a cocky attitude but with a confident attitude," Henry smiled.

"Oh no, you were cocky," Astrid told him. "Cocky, arrogant, and completely – stupid. You got into a fight within an hour."

"But you still liked me," Henry grinned at her.

Astrid looked up at Henry. "Maybe."

"All right, Haddock, gimme your credit card," Heather said. "You've spent a lot of money today on this stuff, which these two intelligent ladies picked out for you."

"Eh, I knew it'd cost a lot," Henry said with a wry look, taking out his wallet to hand Heather his credit card. "I don't like spending money even though I've got so much of it now. Do I get a discount for the rude service?"

"I should charge you extra!" Heather snorted, as she put Henry's items in a bag. "You have got to be the most obnoxious costumer I've ever dealt with."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment," Henry chuckled.

"Well, there you go," Heather said, handing Henry the fairly large bag of purchases. "There's your receipt, and have fun running. I'm supposed to say that at checkout; I actually hope you break your ankle. Now get off my case, my dad just pulled up outside to pick me up. I can see his truck."

"Wait, where are you going today, Heather?" Astrid asked, as Heather leered playfully at Henry.

"Out hiking!" Heather smiled. "My God, I love hiking, and I'm going with my dad and some other really cool people."

"Really cool people?" Astrid asked slyly. "You mean your friends from the military base?"

"Yes," Heather reddened, and Astrid, chuckling, turned to Henry. "Heather has this love for military guys, Henry. She has tons of military friends because of her dad being in the Air Force, but she can't pick a damn boyfriend out of all of them."

"I haven't found him yet, OK?" Heather said, red as a beet, as Henry laughed at her. "I thought you might have been my hero, Henry, when you got out of your car with your camouflage coat. But no, you were just a freaking forest ranger, not a cool army man."

Henry and Astrid laughed.

"And look what you've done," Heather complained, looking past Henry at Astrid to the door. "I'm late. Here comes my dad. Hey dad!"

Henry and Astrid turned to see a fit, middle-aged man walk up to the counter with a stern smile.

"Hi Heather," he said. "We've got to go if we want to get to the trailhead on time. Better speed it up."

"Right dad," Heather said. "I've just got to go clock out and take this silly shirt off. Hey, meet my friends, Astrid and Henry. You've met Astrid before but you don't know Henry yet."

Heather stopped. Henry was staring at her dad and he was staring back.

"No way," Henry laughed. "Dakota Peterson."

"My God," the man said. "It's the battered boy I picked up on the road with a wolf and a moose head! Nice to meet you again, was it Henry?"

"Yeah," Henry laughed as he shook Dakota's hand. "I never thought I'd run into you again, but I just wanted to say, thanks for that ride. You probably saved my life."

"Oh don't mention it," Dakota laughed. "How's that bite on your arm?"

"It's healed," Henry said, glancing down at his old injury. "Was able to get some medical treatment pretty fast thanks to you. Did you get the two thousand I sent you?"

By this point both Astrid and Heather were gaping. Heather exploded.

"You two KNOW each other? When did this happen?!"

Dakota laughed, turning to his daughter. "I picked up this kid back when I was coming home from our uncle's cabin in Funny River. I told you about it, sort of. You helped me clean the blood out of the back of my truck, right? That was his. He had a rough time."

Heather looked at Henry with a helpless gaze. "You sure are full of surprises, Haddock," she said in awe. "But I've got to get ready to go. Be back in a few minutes, dad." She turned and went into the back, shaking her head.

Henry spoke to Dakota again. "I sent the two thousand dollars I promised you to the address you gave me, but I never confirmed it got to you. You did receive it?"

"Yes I did," Dakota affirmed, a slight frown coming over his face. "And I wanted to return it, but the return address on the envelope didn't go through. I just helped out, you didn't need to pay me at all, and certainly not that much."

"No, I did," Henry said firmly. "And don't you even think about returning it, Mr. Peterson. If I hadn't got that ride I would have most likely been shot or mauled, and if not, died of pneumonia or wound infection. I'm not that important, but I'd like to think my life is worth at least two thousand dollars."

Dakota guffawed, clapping Henry on the shoulder. "Well, if you insist, Henry. But really, it was a pleasure, and any time you need a ride someplace, call me up, I'll be there."

"Will do," Henry affirmed.

Heather came back out from the back of the store. "All right, I'm ready to go, dad," she said.

"Right, we've got to get a move on," Dakota said, shaking hands with Henry again. "Was nice to see you again, Henry."

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Henry said.

Dakota and Heather turned to walk to the door, and Astrid chuckled as she heard heather say, "Dad, what the hell?" Before they walked out the door.

"Well," Astrid said, turning to Henry. "The more and more I hear about what you doing when I first met you, the more and more scary it sounds. Bloody and battered?"

Henry sighed. "One day I'll tell you the full story, Milady," he smiled, sliding a hand around Astrid's waist. "But right now I have to learn how to run. Please tell me that was all I need, and I'll never have to go shopping with you again."

"Well, I think I forgot one thing," Astrid said cheekily. She reached up and pulled Henry down and planted a good one on his lips. "There," she smiled. "Now we can go."

Henry grinned back at her. "I don't think we made any plans after shopping. Go where?"

"You decide," Astrid smiled, linking her arm with his.

* * *

 **MONDAY MORNING**

* * *

At 5:40AM on Monday morning Henry swung his corvette into a parking space and stopped.

"Well bud, we're here," he said, turning off the engine and looking back into the back seat. "It was my first day of school, now it's yours. Come on."

Toothless was stretched out across the back seat of the Corvette, and when Henry spoke he lifted his head lazily and yawned, his sharp fangs becoming visible for a brief time. Then he blinked and laid his head down again.

"Oh, don't start this shit with me," Henry laughed. "I had to get up at like 4:45 this morning to drive out the Chugach Mountains to pick you up. I'm supposed to be the one who's tired, but here you are whining."

Toothless growled.

"Well, you'll be happy to know I expected this," Henry chuckled, reaching over to the passenger's seat to open his backpack. "Guess what I brought to tempt you, bud."

Toothless suddenly snapped upright on the seat as Henry pulled out a large package wrapped in tin foil.

"Fish!" Henry laughed, peeling half the tin foil off. "Two whole fish just for you. BUT, you're not going to get both now. You can eat one and have the other one after you come in and stop being lazy. But we get out of the car first."

Toothless was very enthusiastic as Henry swung open the door and stepped out. The giant black wolf followed, springing down lightly on the concrete parking lot.

"All right, go ahead and eat this," Henry grinned, giving Toothless one of the fish. "But hurry up, because I'm going inside the school."

Toothless grabbed the fish in his mouth and leapt to the back of Henry's car, where he rolled under the fender and started to eat contentedly.

"All right, lazybones," Henry shrugged. "I'm going in, and when you finish that fish come in after me. I'll be right through those big doors, you see those?" Henry pointed.

Toothless batted a lazy green eye at the doors of the school and then looked at Henry in acknowledgement.

"All right, well hurry up and eat that," Henry ordered. "I'll see you in a bit."

Swinging his backpack over one shoulder, he walked through the parking lot up to the main entrance of the school. On the way he saw tons of other students, most having a pet of some sort with them. When he opened the main doors of the school and stepped in, he blinked around at utter chaos.

The entire main hallway was packed with kids and animals. It was like a zoo. Dogs, cats, birds, mice, hamsters, and all kinds of pets imaginable were there. And it was the noisiest place Henry had ever been in.

"Good lord," he muttered. Looking around, he tried to find the place Astrid had told him to meet her at. He saw it, and pushed his way through the chaotic crowd towards it. As he came closer he saw the gang, Astrid, Heather, Callie, Tommy, and Fishlegs, all standing together admiring Callie's adorable kitten.

Astrid had her back to him, and he snuck up behind her and poked her in the ribs, yelling, "Hyaah!"

Astrid screamed, and whirled around. "My God!" she gasped, as Henry laughed. "You ass! You scared me silly."

"Sorry, Milady," Henry said, still laughing. "I just had to."

Tommy Thorston gave Henry a high five. "I saw you coming," he grinned, "but I also saw you were about to scare her so I let it slide."

"Well I should have Stormy here eat you both up," Astrid growled.

"Naw, Stormy wouldn't hurt me," Henry argued, squatting down to pat the German Shepherd at Astrid's side. "Would ya, Stormy?"

Stormy wagged her tail, and Astrid snorted.

"Well, Henry's a dog whisperer," Callie commented, as Henry stood up again. "But I don't think you can handle little skipper here. She's savage."

Henry laughed as Callie displayed the small yellow kitten in her arms. "Babies don't listen to anyone," he said.

"No, she listens to me," Callie crooned, rubbing her nose against the kittens. "Don't you, you little cute thingy?"

Henry shook his head. "I'm disappointed," he said sadly. "I thought you were an ass-kicking she-devil. Callie. I think we've found your cute soft side."

"Oh, shut up," Callie retorted, scowling at Henry. "You know I'm mean and feisty. Skipper here is the one thing I'm actually nice to. I'm not nice to any people."

Tommy Thorston nodded wisely. "That's for sure, Callie."

"Shut up, Tuff." Callie grinned wickedly at the taller boy. "That's my rule, I'm not allowed to be nice to people, only my dear little kitten."

"Not the best policy there," Heather laughed. She was the only one in the group that did not have a pet. Even Fishlegs had a tiny mouse in his chest pocket. She had nothing.

Henry was looking at Tommy queerly. "All right," he said, pointing at Tommy's shoulder. "What is THAT?"

"Oh, this?" Tommy laughed, reaching up to take a parrot off his shoulder. "This is Belch, my parrot. He's AWESOME. I can teach him to say stuff and he will do it, its plain kick ass. He knows every standard curse word, I'm so proud of that. Watch this." He tugged gently on Belch's tail, and the bird squawked and said indignantly, 'Fuck you!'

"Oh God," Henry sighed, as the rest of the group laughed. "I'm surprised he's even allowed in the school."

"Well that's also part of the plan," Tommy grinned. "See, if my pet becomes too obnoxious, I might get sent home! There's not really going to be any school today, but all the stupid pet introductions they do later is just dumb. Hopefully Belch can rise to the occasion when there's a teacher around."

"Tuff Thorston, you are the worst." Callie shook her head.

"No, I'm the BEST," Tommy grinned. "And Belch agrees with me! Here's what I taught him to say the other day. Belch, speak!"

Belch opened his beak and squawked, "Tommy kicks ass!"

"NOO!" Callie moaned, as Henry doubled over with laughter. "The bird has been taught to lie!"

"No lies!" Tommy retorted. "I am really hot and sexy and cool, Callie, admit it."

"You are – I mean, you're not," Callie faltered.

"Whoa!" Tommy whirled to look at Callie with a twinkle in his eye. Callie looked down at her kitten and pretended she hadn't said anything.

"I'm not going to forget that, Callie," Tommy grinned. Callie didn't answer, and Fishlegs spoke up for the first time to break the awkward silence.

"So, uh, Henry, where's your pet?" He asked. "Astrid was joking about how you going to bring a wolf to school, it was kinda funny."

"Yeah, what was up with that?" Tommy asked, taking his eyes off of the blushing Callie to look at Henry.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Who said Astrid was joking?"

Heather smiled, Fishlegs whistled, and Callie stopped blushing to look up at Henry in surprise.

"Wait, are you serious?" Callie demanded.

"Yeah," Henry laughed. "He's chilling out at my car right now, but he'll be in soon."

"I don't believe this," Callie stated firmly. "No one can tame a wolf."

"Not technically true," Fishlegs said. "There's actually about a 3% chance that -"

"Stow the statistics, Fishlegs," Callie laughed. She turned to Henry. "Are you serious? You have a pet wolf? Astrid, come on. Is this a joke?"

"I haven't seen the wolf yet," Astrid admitted, "but as much as Henry goofs off and teases and jokes, he isn't this time. Henry's got a wolf, but he's not a pet, he's a friend." She turned to Henry. "In your own words."

"Way to go, Milady." Henry smiled at her. "And yes, he is a friend."

"No way," Tommy said, grabbing Henry by the shoulders. "Tell me you're not serious."

"I'm very serious," Henry laughed. "And he's coming in as soon as he stops feeling lazy."

Tommy was about to answer, but Astrid suddenly elbowed Henry warningly.

"Henry." She stated. "Watch out, here comes trouble."

Henry turned to look at Astrid, and she pointed. He turned, and saw Scott Jorgenson approaching from across the hall, with a mean-looking Doberman pinscher at his side.

"Oh, there's gonna be fireworks here," Tuff said ominously, turning to hand his pet parrot Belch to Heather. "Henry, don't start anything that I'm going to get hurt breaking up."

"I'm not looking for another fight," Henry said quietly. "But it sure as hell looks like he is."

Scott strode up, his dog following. As he approached Henry, the people around turned to stop and stare, as if they knew something was about to happen. Almost everywhere Scott went he had an audience.

Scott stopped in front of Henry, and the shorter boy sighed, plowing his hand through his shaggy hair.

"All right, what do you want now, Scott?" He asked in exasperation. "I thought we were done yesterday."

Scott grinned. "We're far from done with what happened yesterday. But that's not why I'm here. I want you to stay away from Riley Thorston."

Henry's brows went up, and he turned to face Scott directly. He laughed. "Riley Thorston?"

"My sister," Tommy said. "She's into you, Henry. The blonde that talked to you in the halls the other day."

"Shut up, Tuff!" Scott snapped angrily. "I'm talking to Henry." He took another step forward and tapped his thick finger against Henry's chest. "Riley Thorston is my girl, and if you try anything with her I'll see to it that you're dead meat."

Henry looked down at Scott's finger on his chest and then back up into Scott's ugly brown eyes. "Watch out, Scott," he threatened softly. "I don't like being touched."

"I don't care what you like," Scott roared obnoxiously. "Did you hear what I said?"

Henry sighed. "I don't want another confrontation here, pal, but listen. I don't give a shit about Riley Thorston. She's pretty but she's NOT my type. OK?"

"Are you going to stay away from her?" Scott growled.

"No," Henry replied. "I'm not going to change a damn thing. I don't care about Riley and I'm going to keep on not caring about her, but if you think you're going to make me promise you anything, you're mistaken." He pushed Scott's finger off his chest with some force.

Scott glared. "I don't like your tone, you little Henry… you hiccup."

"A hiccup?" Henry laughed. "OK."

Scott reddened. "Whatever! Just stay away from my girl."

"You see, that's one thing I don't get," Henry grinned. "If she's your girl, why are you even worried about her going after me?"

Scott glowered. "That's none of your business, you shithead."

"Just asking," Henry chuckled, and behind him Astrid and Callie tittered. Scott's face grew dark.

"I wish we weren't in a school right now," Scott hissed. "Or maybe I'd tell Hookfang here to eat you up." He gestured to the Doberman by his side.

Henry dropped a careless gaze to the dog. "I don't think that'd make much of a difference," he said dryly. "Your Hookfang there is a great, well-bred dog but you've done a bad job keeping him in shape. He's old and slow and lazy, as fierce as he may look. A couple of kicks might be all I'd need."

Scott stared. "What the…" Then he paused and some of his meanness turned to genuine curiosity. "Who are you?"

Henry smiled. "No one. Just a kid from the wild."

"Well, I'll show you wild," Scott said softly. He stepped forward and whispered in Henry's ear, so quietly only Henry could hear. "One day you'll be alone and afraid and in the dark," Scott hissed, "and you'll look around and see me there. You caught me off guard the first time we fought, but next time it'll be different. And you'd better watch your step."

He leaned back, and Henry's green eyes met his coolly. "I'll be ready for you, Scott," he smiled. "All right, you've made your threats. Sounded like a movie. Take your neglected Hookfang and leave. Learn how to take care of a dog, too."

Scott sneered. "Who the hell are you to tell me that? Where's your dog, huh? You don't even have a pet. What'd you bring today, a teddy bear?"

Henry opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly someone shouted, "Oh my GOD!" from near the main entrance, and everyone whirled to stare at what was going on. It was worth looking at. As if by magic all the pets stopped making noise, kids dashed away from the doors, and the crowd parted to reveal a majestic sight.

Toothless stood tall and strong by the doors, and it wasn't till Henry saw him among all the other kids and pets that he realized just how huge the wolf was. His head stood clear past every student's waist, and the raw power displayed in his muscles and movements made him both a marvel and a terror at the same time.

As the wolf scanned the room with his fierce eyes, he found Henry, and stepped forward with his slight limp, his sharp claws clacking on the tiled floor.

Everyone in the room was staring in shock as the giant wolf strode straight up to Henry and stood by his side. Henry reached down and patted Toothless' head, then looked back up at Scott, an amused grin on his face.

"Not exactly a teddy bear, Scott."

Scott was staring, and his previously aggressive eyes were now laced with fear. "My god," he whispered.

"Well, everyone, meet Toothless," Henry announced. "Toothless, this is Astrid, Callie, Heather, Tommy, and Fishlegs. They're my friends. And this," Henry turned to Scott, "Is Scott. I don't him very much."

Toothless looked at Scott and snarled menacingly. Scott took a scared step back.

"Take it easy, Toothless," Henry grinned. "Scott's pretty much just a bag of hot air. Not much of a fight there."

Scott's face changed. He was afraid, but also furious, and once more he found the whole school of students, people he was the king of, looking at him and laughing. He lost his temper, and snapped.

"Get him, Hookfang!" He shouted at his dog.

Astrid yelled as Hookfang, scared as he was, obeyed. The Doberman leapt at Toothless, and the wolf, twisting nimbly, hammered his broad, strong shoulder into Hookfang's as he jumped. The impact hurled Hookfang to the floor, and the Doberman's jaws snapped on thin air. Toothless immediately sprang on his opponent, his jaws closing around Hookfang's throat.

"Toothless, NO!" Henry roared, in a voice so harsh and savage that Astrid winced. Toothless checked his attack and instead of killing Hookfang, merely pushed down with his jaws on Hookfang's neck, pinning him down. The Doberman went limp and whimpered in terror, knowing that Toothless could tear his throat out in a heartbeat. Toothless' growl of fury could be heard, muffled by the fur on Hookfang's neck.

Henry was furious. He stepped forward and hit Scott across the mouth. The big boy reeled, and Henry shook his fist at him as he recovered.

"You fool," Henry said, his voice trembling. "Don't you EVER do that again, ever. Toothless almost killed your dog, and he might have killed you too. Are you insane? Did you just order your dog to attack me?"

Henry lowered his fist and stepped back. "Get out of here, Scott. I think we've all had enough of you. Toothless, let him go."

Toothless obediently stepped off Hookfang, opening his jaws. The Doberman scrambled to his feet and sprang behind Scott's pants, his tail between his legs and trembling all over. Scott was holding a hand over his lip, which was bleeding from Henry's blow. He realized now what he had done and was both afraid and calmer.

"Go," Henry commanded. "I don't want to have to do this every day. I don't want an enemy. Look, just don't talk to me, and we'll leave each other alone. Get out of here."

Scott opened his mouth to say something, but didn't. He turned and left, Hookfang following hurriedly. Both seemed very eager to get away from Toothless.

Henry watched him go and heaved a deep sigh. He plowed his hand through his hair again. "What am I going to do with him?"

No one answered, and Henry looked around. "Well," he said cheerfully. "The problem is gone, let's forget about all that. Everyone, meet Toothless!"

"Oh my God," Tommy breathed, dropping to both his knees. "My life is complete now. Never have I ever seen anything as badass as this wolf. He's so big! My god! Can I have one?"

Henry laughed. "There is no wolf like Toothless."

"I believe it," Tommy said with awe. "I don't even want to touch him, I'm just going to sit here and admire him for a bit."

"Sounds good," Henry laughed. He turned to the rest of the group. "Well, Astrid? I promised you'd get to meet him, and here he is."

Astrid looked at Toothless and then back at Henry. "Uh, is he safe?" She asked.

"No," Henry answered with a chuckle. "And I know he just attacked a dog, but he won't hurt you. Go ahead and pet him."

Astrid stepped towards Toothless gingerly. "If he bites my hand off you're dead, Henry," she laughed nervously. She laid her hand on Toothless' neck and stroked his back. Toothless did not react and Astrid relaxed. "OK. Wow. He's ENORMOUS, Henry."

"He sure isn't small," Henry chuckled.

"That is just unbelievable," Heather said with awe. "Look at his fur! A black wolf, and that size. My dad told me all about it when I asked him about the ride he gave you, but I had no idea he was this big and scary."

"Oh, he's not scary," Henry scoffed. "He's a big baby, aren't you, bud?"

Toothless, who was still being patted by Astrid, looked up and Henry and gave him a dog grin.

"See? He's just a big clown like me," Henry grinned. "Come on guys, don't be nervous, come and pet him, pull his ears, anything. And Tuff, get off your knees."

"But it's so beautiful," Tommy moaned. "I could watch him for hours."

Astrid looked up and laughed. "Aww, look at Stormy," she said. "Poor Stormy, she's terrified."

Henry laughed. Stormy was standing with her tail down, torn between wanting to go to Astrid and not wanting to go any closer to Toothless.

"It's OK, Stormy," Henry said, tugging on Toothless and leading him up to Stormy. "Here ya go, he's just a gentle giant."

Stormy cautiously sniffed Toothless' nose and relaxed. The two circled each other a few times and then they were friends.

"Yeah, I know you just all saw how savage he can be," Henry chuckled, "but he's just like me. He can be mean when he has to be, but if he doesn't, then he's friendly and happy."

Tommy got to his feet. "All right, I've worshipped him enough. I want to touch him now."

"Go ahead," Henry grinned. Tommy jumped to Toothless and stroked his back with both hands. "Oh, I can just feel the power!" he marveled. "So much power! He's like a God."

"He is pretty powerful," Henry admitted.

"Could he drag me around?" Tommy asked, looking at Henry.

"Oh yeah," Henry laughed. "You weigh like what, 140 pounds?"

"143," Tommy answered. "He could drag that much around?"

"Without even trying," Henry nodded.

"I want him to do it, then," Tommy announced.

"What?!" Callie laughed, who had stood watching Toothless and holding her kitten protectively. "Tuff, you'll get hurt!"

"No, it'll be fun!" Tommy grinned. "Tell him to drag me around, Henry! Please!"

Henry looked at the gang and shrugged. "Why not?" He looked at his furry friend and pointed at Tommy. "Toothless, tackle this guy and drag him around. Don't hurt him, though!"

With a laughing snarl, Toothless pounced off the floor and landed on Tommy's shoulders, dropping the lean blonde boy to the floor with a thud.

"Wooooowwww!" Tommy yelled, feeling the weight of Toothless on top of him. "He's SO strong! He like weighs more than me!"

"I don't know about that," Henry laughed, "but wrestling with him is pretty hard. Go ahead and drag him around, Toothless."

Toothless licked Tommy's face playfully, then leapt off him and seized Tommy's pant cuff in his teeth. With a tug, he ran off, dragging Tommy screaming behind him.

The group roared with laughter as the odd-looking pair dashed through the crowd of students, causing chaos wherever they went.

"Tuff," Astrid shook her head. "The guy is a maniac."

"Can't argue with you there," Heather laughed. "But he's a very – sexy - guy, am I right, Callie?"

"Uggh, stop it," Callie muttered. "I'm about to teach his parrot something anyway, leave me alone." She handed her kitten Skipper to Fishlegs.

"Love is in the air," Heather said slyly. Callie ignored it, and turned away to start talking to the parrot.

"So let me get this straight," Fishlegs said, who had been quiet ever since Toothless had arrived. "You actually trained a wolf, Henry?"

"No, I didn't train him," Henry specified. "He's – we're in a relationship. Not that kind!" He laughed, as Astrid started to giggle. "No, I mean, we have a bond. Like, everyone loves their pet, but we're different. We're like ice cream and a cone, we go together. We're inseparable. I know he's going to die before I do, but I don't know how I'll cope with that. We're one."

"Interesting," Fishlegs said, deeply intrigued. "Wolves are very wild, and the chances of one bonding with a human are somewhere in the 0.0001th percent."

"Well I'm a lucky guy then," Henry grinned.

At that moment the yelling of Tommy got closer, and with a last rush, Toothless dragged the blonde haired boy back into the group and dropped his leg, leaving Tuff gasping on the floor.

"Ha ha, good job, bud!" Henry laughed. "See, you're not so tired after all. You just needed a little excitement."

Toothless blinked back at Henry, and Tommy, still sprawled on the floor, let out a breathless whoop.

"That was AWESOME!" he yelled. "I want to do it again!"

Heather sighed. "Tuff, you're demented. You might get hurt."

"I did, though!" Tommy sat up. "I hit my head three times and there's gonna be some ugly bruises on my back. But it was worth it! I survived being dragged around by my new God. I'm a tough gun."

"Well, tough gun, get up and take your parrot back," Callie said, as Henry grabbed Tommy's arm to haul him upright. "I taught him something new."

"What!" Tommy forgot Toothless and sprang forward to grab Belch back from Callie. "Don't do that, Callie! Belch is very sensitive, he'll forget what I taught him if you try and teach him other things."

"Too late," Callie grinned, and tugged Belch's tail. Tommy's mouth dropped open as the parrot croaked, "Fuck Tommy!"

All the rest of the gang roared with laughter, Henry doubling over. "Ooooh Tuff she got you!" he laughed. "She just roasted you!"

Tommy looked defeated, but he gazed at Callie with a fond but evil look. "All right, you blonde she-devil," Tommy growled. "You ruined my parrot forever. Heather, hold Belch, I'm going to kick Callie's ass."

Heather took the parrot and Tommy jumped at Callie. Laughing, the girl ducked low, pounced to meet Tommy, and twisted her leg behind Tommy's. Off balance, she took him down with a skillful jiu-jitsu style tackle.

"Ooooh!" Heather laughed, as Callie rolled on top of Tommy. "She's a karate girl, Tuff, you forgot that!"

Tommy was groaning on the floor, and Callie was straddling him, pinning his arms down with her knees.

"You're defeated, Tuff," Callie said wickedly.

"Ow, get off me," Tommy was about to throw Callie off, but then stopped. "No. Never mind, stay on me. Not every day I get a hot blonde on top of me."

Tommy wasn't able to say much more. Callie hit him and he started to yelp, writhing.

"When are those two going to start dating?" Astrid laughed.

"Them?" Heather turned to look at Astrid and Heather. "When are YOU two going to start dating, huh?"

"Well," Astrid stammered, reddening.

"Henry?" Heather asked cheekily. "Come on, ask her out."

"All right, all right," Henry admitted, trying not to blush. He put an arm around Astrid. "We're dating. Happy now?"

"No!" Heather grinned. "You have to kiss her."

"Oh god," Henry rolled his eyes. "You're a romantic, aren't you, Heather?"

"Kiss her." Heather commanded.

"All right, I guess that's it," Henry laughed. "No one should ever have to tell me to kiss Astrid twice." He looked at Astrid. "You mind?"

Astrid didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. Henry cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. Once. Twice. Three times.

"All right, all right!" Heather laughed. "I'm satisfied."

"Good," Fishlegs grumbled. "I don't like watching people kiss, it's awkward. I think you're weird, Heather."

"I don't care," Heather grinned, and winked at Astrid. Astrid smiled back.

Tommy and Callie were now both back on their feet, elbowing each other.

"Did I miss something interesting?" Tommy asked, looking around.

Before anyone could make a response, the school megaphone spoke up.

'All students, attention. The staff have received multiple warnings about pets running wild, without collars, dragging people around. There are all kinds of problems being caused, and we are going to have to CANCEL the pet presentation. All students should leave immediately."

"YEEEAAAH!" Tommy yelled, and there were cheers from many of the crowd as well. He clapped Henry on the shoulder. "Haha, Toothless dragging me around caused them to cancel it all! I feel like a hero!"

"I guess it was productive!" Heather laughed. "Wow, what a break, we get all Monday off!"

"This is awesome," Callie laughed. "So much free time – I have no plans at all for today."

"Well, I know what I'm doing," Tommy laughed. "I'm going to Krispy Kreme for some doughnuts! Belch is coming with me, and Callie – you should come with me, too."

"Oh-oh!" Heather catcalled. "Not-so-subtle there, Tommy."

"I'm not a subtle guy," Tommy laughed. "Come on, Callie, you owe me one for that beating you gave me. Coming?"

"Yes," Callie said, the corner of her mouth dancing.

"Then we're outta here," Tommy announced. "See you all tomorrow, it's time for some doughnuts!" He and Callie made sure they had their pets and then hurried to the door, where the massive throngs of students were also going.

"They've got the right idea," Fishlegs said. "I'm going to go get something to eat and then play some video games. Anyone feel like joining me?"

"Nope," Heather chimed in. "I'll go and get some food with you but after that I'm going to go home and sleep!" She looked at Henry and Astrid. "And I don't know what you two are going to do, but have fun. Not too much fun, though." She winked.

"There's no such thing as too much fun," Henry said with a sly smile. "And Heather, you're just jealous. You know you want a boyfriend but Astrid has stolen me already."

"Oh, nuts," Heather retorted. "My bed is my boyfriend until I find some cool military dude."

"Well have fun with that," Henry laughed. "Astrid and I – I don't know what we're going to do."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Fishlegs grinned. "Let's get going, Heather. I'm going to text some of my football friends to see if they want to come with us for some food. Football players ALWAYS want food."

"Well let's go then," Heather said. "We'll see you two tomorrow."

"Yeah, goodbye, Heather," Astrid said. "And you'd better watch your teasing, girl. I'll come to your house with a monkey wrench."

"Rule 1 of living: Don't piss off Astrid," Heather laughed. She pointed at Henry. "Remember that, big boy."

Henry chuckled. "I think I've pissed her off more than ten times already."

"Whatever. Goodbye, you two lovebirds." With a wave of her hand, Heather followed Fishlegs out.

"Well," Henry sighed, turning to Astrid. "What do you want to do, Milady? We've got two dogs and all day to goof off."

"It's going to be hot today," Astrid smiled. "Let's take the dogs to Goose Lake and go swimming."

"Sounds like a plan," Henry grinned, wrapping his hand around Astrid's waist. "Let's go. Toothless, Stormy, come on, and don't make a mess of my car."

Toothless growled.

"OK, fine, I'll give you the second fish, bud."

* * *

 ***As promised, I put in your PSE Fever, raggedyman01. It's role may not be over yet, though.**

 ***That line is something I say all the time, 'My hair is awesome and it stays.' I just had to do it. LOL. And ArvinWrites, I'm not ever going to cut it.**

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 **So there is the long awaited chapter 13, and I really hope you liked it! Drop off a review to let me know what you thought or to yell at me for not posting in forever, I don't care. I just loving hearing from you all. Next chapter should be a fun, relaxed one, with loads of Hiccstrid. I'm gonna do my best to post it quickly!**

 **Cya all soon,  
NatB. :)**

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 **Guest reviewers:**

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ComradeKGB: Well, unfortunately this chapter didn't come out as quickly as you hoped! LOL. Maybe I should go to a friendly gulag writer's camp. Know any in Alaska? XD. But yeah, so sorry for the delay. Hiccup and Astrid are coming along… ;)

GGSniper: I would have replied to you with a PM but apparently you've disabled your messaging. Anyway, thanks so much for the review! So nice to get encouragement, I'm going to keep it going. :)

Guest1: Well, if it's good to see an update, things haven't been very good for the past four months! LOL. But hopefully I'll post faster now! Thanks so much for the review.

Guest2: Reading your review after four months made me feel bad. :( It's so nice to see someone like you so enthusiastic about the story, and not get an update fast like you asked. I'm so sorry. But hopefully you enjoy this chapter, after such a long wait. :)

Seth8627: Haha, I'm the biggest hypocrite in the world. I used to give people a hard time about updating slowly, and here I am, four months after my last post. I'm ashamed. LOL. But after a long wait, here you go, I hope you like it.

HufflePuffforLife: Well, looking at your name, why are you reading HTTYD FF and not Harry Potter? LOL. But OMG, I'm so sorry. You really did want this chapter badly… :( Well, here it is, and I hope you didn't die of sorrow. XD

Yaranarer: Haha, well, I love badass Hiccup, too, but that seems a little extreme. LOL! Hope you don't do your own laundry.

Guest4: Well, I'm sorry, I didn't have time to write faster. But now that I do, I'll do my best to speed it up! Thanks for the review. :)

ElderFury: Haha thanks for the nag! I guess it didn't feel like it worked too well, since this update is so late, but I couldn't really help it. And I'm so sorry it took so long, hopefully it won't happen again. So glad you love the story, thanks so much.

Guest5: Well, I get the feeling that you posted multiple reviews, but I'm not sure so I'll just reply to each one individually. Anyway, I'm so glad you like the uniqueness of the story, that's something I'm proud of. And you get to see both the shopping trip and Toothless in school, so hope you like it! Read on! Oh yeah, and so sorry for the long wait, you asked me so nicely to hurry up and I failed. :(

Guest6: I'm so sorry! I just didn't have time to write. Here is the update, finally. Hope you like it, and sorry again.

Guest7: So glad you like it and so sorry I haven't updated in a million years! :( And yes, I hear you on all the cussing, but the character and settings that I chose for this story are like that, unfortunately. I'll try to minimize it but cussing is just how things are in this fic. But you get to enjoy both those scenes you were excited for! Thanks so much for the review, and sorry again.

ShadyScale: Well, if you die waiting for stories, then I'm guessing you're dead by now. LOL. So sorry it took so long for me to post this, but thanks for the review!

Hicca1119: Yeah, I'm so sorry, I have not decided to quit writing, I was just too busy. :( But I'm so glad you like the unique and odd plot! I'm really proud of that, and hopefully you don't miss this update! :)

Anonymous: So sorry, school started a long time ago but hopefully you can catch this chapter and get at least some relief from the torture of your classes. Uggh, school sucks, am I right?

Guest8: Nag posts! I love nag posts, and like I said, even though this chapter was the longest update I've ever had since I started, the nags really helped. So thanks so much, and hope you enjoy. So sorry for the long delay.

By the craze: His own gang of girls… LOL! Well, he's a pretty cool guy. So glad you liked that chapter, and hopefully this one can top it. :)

Skyler: Yeah, I know, it's been FOREVER since I updated. But hopefully that will change! Here you get more of the story, and I'm going to try and keep it coming. Thanks so much for the review!

Guest9: So sorry it took so long! And you get to see what happens at the school in this chapter! Thanks so much for the support.

Toothles1234: So sorry this took so long! This chapter was a long time in coming. Hope you like it, though!


	14. Run or Fight

**Hi there all! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me, I, and myself. Honestly, I was hoping to post this chapter a lot sooner, but then finals happened and my foot healed, so I've been busy getting all my shit together. Anyway, here you all go. Lots of new characters introduced here, and a little more Hiccstrid. Hope you like it!**

 **And a shoutout here to PuppeteerOllie for being an awesome beta for this story. Thanks a bunch, pal!**

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 **Guest reviewers…**

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 **Nightstorm: Yeah I'm not planning on giving up on this just yet! And agreed, a busy schedule can really get in the way of pretty much anything extra you want to do. Anyway, I'm glad you thought it was badass, since it's my goal to be a badass at everything. ;) Thanks so much! Hope you like this new chapter, too.**

 **TheNightFury: (all reviews) Well, maybe everyone will find out… but just not now. And yeah, he's already a badass, he doesn't need to be pumped up anymore! He's even becoming a little TOO much of a jerk, don't you think? Anyway, I'm so glad you like the story, and sorry for the late update. Thanks a bunch! :)**

 **Night of Fury: (all reviews) Yeah, Pet Day was a little interesting, wasn't it? Toothless certainly made an impression all right. Thanks so much for the reviews! Hope you like the new chapter.**

 **Tada: Haha, Captain Hiccup is coming along! I'm in the middle of writing the big battle, so it's taking a while. Hoping to update soon, though! Thanks!**

 **Jack: Yeah, I have been sorta pairing the gang together, but I've got different plans for both Fishlegs and Heather. I mean, Heather likes military guys, and Fishlegs has a crush on Riley Thorston. We'll see how that plays out… :) Anyway, thanks so much for the review, Jack!**

 **Blacksmith: Thanks so much for the review! But haha, 'Milady' is just the goofy nickname Hiccup has used in the movies. I carried it over – I don't think it's creep-like, just a nickname. Anyway, I'm so glad you like the story! Here's your update! :)**

 **Guest1: Yeah, yeah, Snot's finally learned his lesson. He's found his place – and now he wants to get out of it. He deserved it, though. He's kind of a jerk. LOL. Thanks for the review!**

 **Guest2: So glad you like the story so far! Sorry for the slow updates, but I'm a busy boy rn. Hope you like this new chapter!**

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 **And that's the guest reviews! Thank you all for dropping one off! Now on with the story, you all have certainly been waiting long enough. LOL. Read on!**

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"Henry Haddock, to the principal's office, please. Henry Haddock to principal's office. Thank you."

"Well, shit." Henry shouldered his backpack and turned away from his locker in the Junior hallway. Heather, a couple lockers down, grinned at him.

"The school system never forgets," she informed him, slamming her locker. "You're about to get in serious trouble about your wolf."

Henry sighed, putting his backpack in the locker and spinning the dial. "I suppose I knew this was coming," he said ruefully. "But it'd better not be Scott who told on me or I'll be kinda mad."

"Scott's not a tattletale," Heather mused. "He has a million faults, but ratting isn't one of them."

"Well, someone did," Henry grumbled. "I guess I'm not mad, but Principal Oldman wasn't very happy with me last time I was in his office. Maybe he'll hit me with some harsh punishment."

"Keep your fingers crossed," Heather laughed, as Henry locked his locker and turned to make the walk to the office.

"Wish me luck," Henry muttered, giving Heather a rap on the head with his hand as he passed.

"Uomph. Good luck, jerk. May you be put on the cleaning detail for weeks."

"Love you too, Heather," Hiccup called back, and then shouldered his way through the crowd of students. He noticed, not for the first time, that a lot of girls looked at him and kept looking. He was amused, but took no notice of them.

In a few minutes he arrived at the Principals Office. With a regretful sigh, he turned the knob and entered the reception room, where the secretary was waiting.

"Hello, Miss Olivia," he said, walking over to her desk. "I'm back, are you proud of me?"

"Oh, Henry Haddock again," Miss Olivia mocked, remembering him from his last visit. He had introduced himself then. "What a surprise."

"Your sarcasm doth injure mine feelings," Henry grinned. "What, I'm not THAT big of a troublemaker."

"This is your third day of school and your second visit here," Miss Olivia commented, arranging papers and laughing. "I know a troublemaker when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now."She took off her glasses and glanced sternly up at Henry.

Henry raised his hands defensively. "All right, all right! Although I'm not really sure what I did this time."

"Well, go find out from Mr. Oldman," Miss Olivia said, putting her glasses back on and turning to her computer. "He's available, and since I called you a few seconds ago he's probably expecting you."

"Well all right then," Henry rapped his knuckles on the counter and then reached over to steal a lollipop from the jar on Miss Olivia's desk.

"Henry!" Miss Olivia reprimanded, but laughed. "You certainly aren't very nervous about seeing Mr. Oldman."

"Well what's the worst he can do to me, make me clean bathrooms?" Hiccup grinned, unwrapping the lollipop and sticking it in his mouth. "I've faced a lot worse than angry principals on my life, believe me. Anyway, say a prayer for my soul, Miss Olivia." Henry turned to enter the Principal's office.

"For the soul of a thief," Miss Olivia sighed, shaking her head. "Are you going to be sucking on that lollipop when you go in there?"

"Yup!" Henry called back, opening the door to Mr. Oldman's office and stepping in.

The principal was busy with papers on his desk, and Henry pulled up a chair, sat down, and stretched his legs. Mr. Oldman looked up.

"Henry Haddock."

"Yessir." Henry twisted the lollipop in his mouth. "I was called here. What's up, sir?"

Mr. Oldman glared at Henry, obviously displeased at his lack of care. For a second he seemed about to order Henry to remove his lollipop, but if he was, he decided against it. He laid his arms on the desk, leaned forward, and spoke.

"Mr. Haddock. Friday was our annual 'Bring your Pet to School Day,' as you know. Apparently you brought a wild, uncollared WOLF into the school. This wolf attacked another dog and also dragged a student through the halls. You did bring a wolf into school?"

"I did." Henry rolled the lollipop in his mouth. "But Toothless is not wild, and both of those incidents are completely excusable, sir."

"Are they? Do explain."

"Toothless did not attack another dog, sir. The dog attacked him, and he defended himself. There was no blood, no injuries, he did it flawlessly, ending the fight without an issue. And he was not dragging a student through the halls in an aggressive manner. The boy, who is a friend of mine, wanted to Toothless to drag him, so I let him."

Principal Oldman snorted. "He wanted to get dragged around? I find that hard to believe."

"It was Tommy Thorston."

"Oh!" Principal Oldman leaned back and chuckled. "Now I don't find it hard to believe at all."

Henry laughed with the Principal. "True enough, sir. And as for the fight with another dog, you can check the security cameras to confirm what I said."

"That won't be necessary." Principal Oldman leaned forward again. "All right, Mr. Haddock, this was slightly overdone. To be honest with you, I was looking for any excuse to cancel the event on Friday, and when people came in here saying your wolf was dragging someone around I jumped at it without even investigating. So really, this is my investigation right now. You are not in trouble."

Henry raised his eyebrows. "I'm not?"

"Not unless I find that you lied. Right now your story seems rather plausible. I'll look into it a little more."

"Feel free."

"So who was the owner of the dog that attacked your wolf?"

Henry lit down on the lollipop, and it crunched in his mouth. He looked up at Principal Oldman. "I'm assuming if I tell you, that owner will get in trouble?"

Principal Oldman said nothing.

"Well then." Henry stood up. "I forget his name. Check the security cameras if you're really that interested in finding out who he was. Frankly, I don't think you are, I mean, I wouldn't be. Is that all, Mr. Oldman?"

Mr. Oldman stood up. "Just two more things, Mr. Haddock. One, next time you bring a wolf to school, he's required to have a collar and a leash. And two, if you ever walk into my office with a lollipop in your mouth again, I'm going to put you in detention for a week. Am I clear?"

Henry grinned, but then wiped it off. "Yes sir!" He said enthusiastically, and then walked out, the lollipop still in his mouth.

* * *

Thanks to his trip to the principal's office, Henry was several minutes late to his first class of the day, which happened to have most of his friends and all of his enemies. Scott Jorgenson was across the aisle, but Astrid, Callie, and Heather all sat around him and made the class very fun. Callie and Heather were sure to toss in sly comments about Henry and Astrid during the conversation, but it was all in good fun.

After the day of school, Henry swung down the halls to the locker room to get changed. It was his first day of running practice.

The boy's locker room was – interesting. As it was his first time actually appearing in a full locker room, Henry was both confused and amused at the crazy stuff that went on. He saw Scott, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut on one side of the room, but they were with the football team and Henry passed them up. Instead he sat down at his own locker, next to a small, quiet kid with a quiet smile.

Henry already knew most of the boys in the locker room, and in a few seconds he was joining the group, throwing things and making inappropriate jokes like he was born to do it. But he noticed the quiet boy never spoke, but whenever someone made a joke he smiled to himself. Henry immediately became interested in the boy. He wasn't talking, but he was listening. The boy was dangerous.

Then Henry laughed at himself as he put on his running shorts. He was still thinking that he was in the wild. The small kid next to him was no threat at all, he was just – well, quiet. Henry glanced at the kid one more time, then someone he did not yet know spoke up, addressing him directly.

"Ya, you're Henry? The new school badass?"

Henry looked up in the process of taking off his shirt. "Sure, that's me."

"The kid who beat up Scotty?" the boy asking was sitting across the aisle, wrapping a piece of tape around his wrist. "This what I be hearing?"

"Yup, that's me," Henry grinned, taking off his shirt.

"Whoaa!" The boy looked at Henry's shirtless figure. "Someone's gonna have a hot girlfriend with a body like that."

"Already got one, pal," Henry quipped, picking up his running tee shirt. "Who are you, man? You a runner?"

"Yessir yessir!" The kid extended a hand. "Johnny Trotter. Running and talking trash is all I do."

"Johnny," Henry smiled, shaking the hand firmly. "I think I've heard your name before in reference to really fast people."

"Some people say I'm fast, but I like to say I'm lightning," Johnny quipped, exposing a set of teeth that was slightly crooked. He had the most impish grin that Henry had ever seen.

"Lightning, huh?" Henry chuckled.

"Oh yeah," Johnny grinned. "It's all in the electric charge. I've gotta stick my fingers in the wall sockets and power up before I go race."

"Well why don't you go stick your dick in the wall socket, Johnny," someone called, and the locker room laughed.

Johnny picked up his underwear, which he had just taken off several minutes ago, and flung them at the one who spoke. Henry never saw people dodge an object with such enthusiasm.

"Why don't ya'll shut up, huh?" Johnny snorted, cutting the tape that he just put on his wrist. "It ain't my fault I can run on electricity."

"You run on sugar and cocaine," someone else called. More 'ooohs' and howls of laughter.

Johnny ignored it turned back to Henry. "Anyway, as I was sayin, I'm a speed demon. I actually do run on sugar, pal. Gimme a pixie stick an hour before the race and I'll run down a jackrabbit."

Henry grinned. "You're the best at West High, huh?"

"The best and the sexiest," Johnny laughed, stripping off his own shirt and standing up. "Look at this raw power, boys!" He called, doing a muscle pose. "I'm my own favorite runner and your girlfriend's favorite runner too."

Roars of laughter erupted from the boys. Johnny was a skinny guy, with a runner's build. He was muscled, but it was all lean and hard. He did NOT look good in a muscle pose.

"There's a thing called the gym, Johnny!" Someone called. "Go to it!"

"Do you even know what a girlfriend IS, Johnny?" Another yelled, and the catcall was accompanied by a flying sneaker, which Johnny dodged.

"Steroids, boy! Use them!"

Tommy Thorston suddenly appeared at the end of the row of lockers, dressed in his football gear. With the shoulderpads he actually looked strong.

"Shut up, Johnny!" He called, flinging a cardboard lunch box at the brown-haired goofball. It struck Johnny in the shoulder as he tried to duck, and uneaten French fries spilled over the lean boy's back.

"OOOOOOH!" Everyone cheered, and Johnny, yelping, hopped to his feet. "Ya'll football slimeys! I'll have ya! I'll rip your legs off!"

"Try me!" A giant lineman, in uniform, shouldered Tommy aside and spoke to Johnny. "I'll take you anytime, tough guy!"

"All right, I'll fight ALMOST all of ya!" Johnny laughed, once more causing the boys locker room to erupt in laughter. "Geez, can't you leave an innocent kid alone?"

"Innocent?" Someone shouted. "The day you aren't doing something bad I'll have a million bucks!"

"When am I ever bad?!" Johnny shouted.

"You know, if they searched your locker, how much weed would they find?" Someone laughed.

"A lot, probably," Johnny replied, and there was another group laugh.

Henry was merely sitting, listening and laughing at the whole scene. Johnny was taking it all in good fun, and the boys were all teasing him in good fun. The whole locker room atmosphere was one of total and absolute goofing off and no sense of seriousness whatsoever. Even though everyone was doing their best to roast Johnny, he could tell that Johnny loved it. And everyone else loved it too.

"Weed is what makes the world go round," Johnny laughed, reaching down to tug on his shoes.

"Your glorious running career will be over the day they do drug tests at school," another person called.

"The day they do drug tests at school half the students will be in jail," Johnny retorted. "Geez!"

Suddenly a strong, well built boy pushed through the line of football players and slammed his hand against the nearest locker three times.

"Running team! Coach told us to meet on the track in ten minutes fifteen minutes ago! What's the matter, you lazy clowns?"

"It's Johnny's fault, Stanley!" Someone shouted, and the newcomer, Stanley, sighed.

"It's always Johnny's fault, I know. Johnny, see this?" Stanley showed his clean running shoes. "This is my foot, and you can find out in about twenty seconds how much force it can apply to your rear end." Stanley checked his watch. "Nineteen."

"Hey!" Johnny was scrambling to his feet, and all the other runners in the locker room were doing the same. Apparently Stanley, when he was demanding hustle, was not to be trifled with. Henry hurriedly laced up his shoes and stood, even as the rest of the runners began to hurriedly file out.

"About bloody time," Stanley called, with a grin on his broad face. He had blonde hair, so blonde it was almost white. "Johnny, hustle up. And you!" He pointed at Henry. "You a new kid?"

"Yes I am," Henry acknowledged, and Stanley stopped to shake his hand. "Awesome. Astrid's new recruit, huh?"

"Yep," Henry grinned. "Henry Haddock."

"Stanley Heisenberg." Stanley smiled. "I'm the team captain, third fastest on the team."

"Pretty sweet," Henry nodded, and Stanley draped a sturdy arm across Henry's shoulder.

"All right, this team has only three rules. One. Don't be a dick. Two. Follow rule number one. And three, don't mess with Stanley."

Henry laughed. "Based on the chaos I just saw in the locker room," I'm assuming you have to enforce rule three often?"

"Not much anymore." Stanley laughed. "They've all learned not to mess with me, and they're all good kids, so they know whatever I tell them is for their own good. As the captain I have to keep them all in line, but as I always say, there's a time for running and a time to do nothing. I'll goof off with you all when it's appropriate."

"Disciplined, huh?" Henry chuckled.

"Oh yeah." Stanley dropped his arm from Henry's shoulder and pointed at his wrist. "Where's your watch, Henry?"

"Oh, crap!" Henry looked at his wrist and saw he had left it in the locker room. "I'll be right back. Meeting on the track?"

"Yeah. Hustle, Henry!" Stanley called, as Henry turned to jog back to the locker room. "The girls are already out there waiting for us. You don't want fifty girls mad at you, trust me!"

Laughing, Henry ducked into the locker room, turning the corner.

And ran slam into a football player, smashing against the shoulderpads. Off balance, he fell onto the tiles, back against the wall.

"Oomph. Sorry," Henry grunted, grimacing. "My bad."

The football player had stepped back slightly to take the impact, but now he stared down at Henry. Henry looked up.

It was Scott Jorgenson.

"Whoops," Henry grinned, getting to one knee hurriedly.

Scott didn't say anything. He stood above Henry, in his football spikes and pads, and his helmet in his hands. Henry was on one knee, and for a second Henry thought Scott was going to kick him. But then the big quarterback just smiled, turned to the door, and tapped his helmet on Henry's head. Then he was gone.

Henry got to his feet. At least Scott hadn't decided to cheap shot him, but he had been surprised. He had forgotten how strong Scott actually was. Getting knocked on his ass had reminded him pretty quick, and Scott had babied him by simply tapping him on the head with his helmet. It didn't feel right.

Turning back into the lockers where he had just left, Henry was expecting to see no one, but he was wrong. The small quiet kid with the glasses was still there, picking up the spilled cardboard lunchbox that had been thrown during the chaos earlier. He had his back to Henry, and the boy carefully put the box in the trash can.

Henry looked at the bench where he had left his watch, and saw that it was gone.

The small boy turned around.

"Oh," he said, his voice strong but quiet. "Your watch. I picked it up for you."

Reaching into his pocket, he extracted Henry's watch and handed it out to him.

Henry stepped forward and took it. "Thanks," he said, looking the small boy over. The kid was dressed in high-quality running gear and nice running shoes. "Are you on the running team too?"

"I am," the boy replied. "And so are you."

"The clothes give it away, huh?" Henry extended his hand. "I'm Henry Haddock."

The small boy took Henry's hand, and Henry noticed that the tiny kid barely came up to his shoulder.

"Hi. I'm Duncan Moore, but before you get to know that name, stop. No one calls me that, I go by Lil' Duke."

Henry grinned, and the two runners shook hands. "Well Duke, nice to meet you," he said. "You new to the team? A freshman?"

Duke smiled. "I sure look like a freshman, don't I?" He gestured to himself. "So small and quiet, am I right? But no, I'm actually a Junior."

Henry's eyebrows went up, and Duke chuckled. "Another disbeliever, huh?"

"Not disbelieving, just surprised." Henry strapped on his watch. "Naturally people have told you all the time that you're short for your age so I will, too. You're short for your age."

Duke laughed. "I – I kinda figured that out," he grinned.

"So," Henry said as he finished strapping on his watch, "Why are you still in here? Stanley ordered us all out and no one's allowed to disobey Stanley's orders, right?"

"No one but me." Duke smiled. "I'm allowed to stay back here. I like to clean the locker room."

Henry took a step back and looked at Duke with newfound interest. Here was a kid who was not shy but quiet, not big but firm, and apparently he liked cleaning the locker room.

Henry spoke slowly. "You're not like most other kids, Duke. Sorry for being so blunt, but I've only been in society for a little while."

Duke nodded. "Go on."

"Well, see, most people can be classified," Henry went on. "When I first saw you I thought, 'oh, there's just another shy kid.' But here, talking to you, you're not shy, and you also like to pick up garbage? I'm sorry, I can't place you, Duke."

Duke smiled, showing his clean white teeth with braces.

"No one can," he grinned. "When people try to describe me they can't."

"So how would you describe yourself?" Henry asked.

Duke's smiled faded. "I don't know, Henry. I'm just a kid who's trying to make his mark on the world, that's all."

"And running cross country will help you make that mark?" Henry asked.

"I think so," Duke answered seriously.

"Oh? Scholarships?"

"Yes."

Henry grinned. "I'm sorry, Duke, but you don't look like a fast runner to me."

Duke grinned back. "And you look more like a model than a runner, Henry."

Henry laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. Really, though, how fast are you?

"Well, Alaska has about ten top-notch runners," Duke said, picking up a plastic bag and tossing it in the garbage can. "First and foremost, there's Eugene Franz."

"I've met him," Henry commented. "He's a badass."

"You've met the next one too," Duke added. He pointed to the door. "Believe it or not, the next fastest in all of Alaska is Johnny Trotter."

"Dear God," Henry laughed.

"A goofball normally, but you should see him on the course," Duke grinned. "The third fastest is – well, there's no real word for it except asshole."

Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, his name is Thaddeus Butcher, but everyone calls him Thug," Duke went on. "God, he's the meanest kid alive. He'll do anything to win, and he's right behind Johnny. Some say Thug'll beat Johnny this year. He runs for a team in Fairbanks, so we don't face him often, only in the large invitationals."

"Gotcha," Henry nodded. "And who's fourth?"

Duke grinned. "That's me."

Henry's jaw dropped. "No way."

"You'd never guess it, right?" Duke laughed. "But these short little legs of mine can move like a windmill. I eat hills like candy and I run the tangents well."

"Uhh, that all went right over my head," Henry laughed. "This is my first running practice."

"Right," Duke said. "My bad. Basically I just run a very smart race, and I've got sudden bursts of speed. That puts me in fourth, but I'm nowhere close to getting Thug or Johnny, let alone Eugene."

"Very impressive," Henry was surprised. "So with two of the fastest runners in the state, why has West not won the State Championship as a team yet?"

"Distribution." Duke spread his hands. "The team that has the lowest score wins the meet, and the way the points are calculated takes the top five places for each team, adds them up, and the lowest wins. Johnny and I give West fantastic points, and Stanley can manage a good placing, but we have no one else after that."

"I see," Henry rubbed his chin. "So if I was in the top ten, could we win?"

Duke closed his eyes, doing some quick math in his head. "Yes, we could," he said. "It'd depend on where you placed and the rest of the spread and all, but that'd put us up there with South High – the biggest competition. Eugene runs for them."

"I follow you," Henry said.

"So you think you can place in the top ten?" Duke asked.

Henry opened his mouth to answer, but then someone kicked the locker room door open with a crash, and both boys whirled. It was Stanley.

"What are you two sorry losers still doing in here!" Stanley yelled. "Henry, how long does it take to fucking put on a watch?! Duke, how long does it take to clean up a fucking locker room!? I'll clean up your guy's case with my boots here in a minute! Get your asses to the track! Holy fuck!"

Henry and Duke did not stay to question Stanley. They darted past the yelling senior and ran down the halls, Duke leading the way. He led Henry to a back door, which he threw open, and then the two boys ran to the track, where a large crowd of runners were already gathering, both boys and girls.

Henry and Duke ran up to the group, which was all sitting and stretching. Coach Naomi, with clipboard in hand, was calling the roll. Henry and Duke, with grins on their faces, dropped to the turf on the inside of the track and acted like they weren't late.

Coach Naomi's eyes darted above her glasses and took the two of them in, and Henry couldn't help but grin as he noticed almost everyone looking in his direction and whispering to each other. Already he was insanely well-known in the school.

"Henry Haddock and Lil' Duke!" Naomi called sharply. "Duke, you're allowed to show up late, but Henry, get it together. It's your first practice."

"Sorry, coach," Henry grinned.

"Mhm. Devon Harley!" Coach Naomi kept calling the roll.

Henry took the time to survey the group of runners and coaches. They were all siting, stretching in a semicircle around the coaches, and there were three others besides Coach Naomi. Henry saw Astrid and Heather on the other side of the semicircle, and then he saw Johnny Trotter, causing trouble in the middle. But he was more interested in the coaches.

He had already met Coach Naomi before, and she was standing erect with her clipboard calling the roll and making marks. Next to her was another coach – a tall one who looked very strong, and seemed to be helping Coach Naomi.

Then there were the other two, a man and a woman. The man was standing with a quiet smile on his face, and he was dressed to run, in a tee-shirt and shorts. He was silently surveying the group unnoticed.

On the other side of Coach Naomi was the second female coach, and she seemed different. She looked fit and fast, but she didn't stand up straight. She was slouching, slightly hunched, and did not look confident. Henry made a mental note.

"And that's all!" Coach Naomi lowered her clipboard. "All right, so let's get to business! Johnny, shut up and listen! We're doing a forty minute medium run on the coastal trail. As always, make sure you're not running alone, run with someone who has a watch, and no walking! Johnny, shut up!"

Johnny spread his hands. "I didn't say anything, coach!"

"No, but you were about to, I saw it in your eyes," Coach Naomi pointed her pen at him. "I'm going to bring duct tape for your mouth next practice."

"But – but then I won't be able to breathe!" Johnny whined. "Coach, do you want your best runner to die of suffocation?"

"I wouldn't even mind that much," Coach Naomi laughed. "Now get up and get running, all of you! We meet back here on the track in forty minutes for a cool-down and core workout. Move, go, git!"

The bustle of kids got up and got running, as Coach Naomi ordered. Henry was about to follow Duke out, but just then Stanley Heisenberg arrived, walking into the track.

"Varsity boys!" He called. "Meeting on me! Let's go!"

Duke turned to Henry. "Why don't you join us?"

"Me?" Henry raised his eyebrow. "I'm not Varsity yet."

"No, but from what I've heard about you it's likely you soon will be," Duke said. "Let's go."

Henry shrugged, and allowed Duke to lead him over to Stanley, where a group of four other boys stood. The male coach was there also.

Duke and Henry walked up, and Stanley nodded at them. "You brought Henry, Duke? Good." He addressed the group. "Boys, this is Henry Haddock. He's new to the team and running in general, but he's spent all his life in the wild and he's fast. He just be the man we need to make this a State Championship team."

Henry stared levelly at Stanley as the group of boys looked at him.

"Yeah baby," Johnny Trotter grinned.

"Look, Stanley, how do you know all that?" Henry asked. "It's not really a secret, but still, I'd like to know where you learned that."

"A girl talked to me about you," Stanley stated.

"Astrid?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Henry chuckled. "Well, OK then. She's probably pumped me up a little much, boys."

"I doubt it." It was the male coach. He stepped forward and put out his hand. "I'm coach Larry, and it looks like you can run well, Henry."

Henry shook the coach's hand. "Well, I hope to learn," he said. "It's nice to meet you, Coach. If you see anything at all that you think I can improve, my form, my style, anything, let me know. I wanna be fast."

"Will do." Coach Larry smiled. "It's your first year, so you'll have a lot to learn. That's my job."

"Well, Henry, I think you've met most of the boys," Stanley said, stepping forward. "I'm Stanley, you've met Johnny and Duke, so there's just these two punks now." He put a hand on the next boy's shoulder. He was an African-American boy with a smile and a lot of muscle. "This is Timothy Jones. We all just call him Jones because there's two other Timmys on the team."

"All right Jones," Henry gripped hands with Jones, and made a mental note at the boy's powerful handshake. Jones was strong.

"Nice to meet you, bro," Jones smiled, showing his big white teeth.

Stanley turned to the last kid. "This is Calvin Biggs."

"I saw you in the locker room," Calvin commented, reaching out to shake Henry's hand.

"Right, I saw you too," Henry said.

"Looks like you'll fit right in here, Henry," Calvin commented, clapping Henry on the shoulder.

Henry nodded, looking at Calvin. The boy was the tallest of the bunch, with a shock of sandy hair and a touch of freckles. He wore a basketball tanktop.

"And that's the Varsity team," Stanley announced. "It's supposed to be seven runners, but we had three graduate last year and we've only replaced two by now. The returners are myself, Duke, Johnny, and Jones. Calvin is new and so are you."

"All right." Henry nodded, looking at all the boys. "So then. Shall we run?"

Johnny grinned. "A no-nonsense man!" He laughed. "He wants to get right to work! We've gotta winner already!"

"But he's right!" Coach Larry called. "Get running! The team has already left, go and catch them! And forty minutes hard effort! If I see one of you without a sweaty face at the end of the day, I'll flay him!"

"Yes coach!" Johnny saluted. "We're off!"

"Move!" Stanley called, beeping the button on his watch. "I've got time. Forty minutes from now!"

Henry hurriedly set his timer, hearing the unfamiliar beep of the device that was to control his life for the entirety of the cross country season.

With a thunder of feet, the six Varsity boys' shoes landed solidly on the track for several paces until Stanley led the way out the gate and onto the grassy embankment on the side of the parking lot.

"We're headed to the coastal trail," he said coolly, his breathing steady. "Henry, I know you're new, so just stick with us and don't do anything stupid, like follow Johnny."

"Hey, I like to try – interesting side routes!" Johnny laughed, his long, muscled legs striking the grass with smooth power. "It's part of my day's work."

"You don't know what work is, Johnny," Jones laughed. "Why don't you come to the gym with me after practice? I'll show you how to work."

"No thank you, future Mr. Universe!" Johnny raised his hands. "I'm not gonna pump iron with you! I'm gonna go home and play Xbox after practice."

"Boo," Stanley snorted, his thick thighs bulging as he ran. "Xbox 360; wasting teenager's time since whenever the hell it was invented."

"What do have against Xbox, Stanley?" Calvin asked. He was in the rear of the group with Duke. Henry, Johnny, and Jones were in the middle, and Stanley was leading.

"Everything!" Jones called. "You're a freshman, Calvin. You haven't heard Stanley grump about video games for the last FOUR years."

"Look, video games are terrible," Stanley said. "Seriously, there's like nothing good about them. What happened to going out and playing ball in the street?"

"All those kids got run over by cars," Johnny cackled.

"Oh, shut up, Johnny," Jones laughed. "Not all drivers are as bad as you are."

"That's not even true, though," Stanley argued. "All drivers are bad these days, thanks to the distraction of cell phones."

"And here we go, Stanley's speech on cell phones," Johnny sighed.

"Look, I've got nothing against cell phones," Stanley expostulated, turning his head slightly to talk to the people behind him. "They're awesome, actually. But we can't overuse them. There's a time and place to doodle on your phone, and so many people violate that. Phones in class, phones in cars, phones while walking, they're all over! I've got a problem with idiots that use their phone at the wrong time."

"Ok, we get it," Calvin laughed. "Chillax, Stan Lee."

"Do not call me Stan Lee!" Stanley laughed. "I'm not gonna start writing comics."

Henry was listening to the banter with interest, but when Calvin said that he didn't understand. He broke in.

"Stan Lee? Who's that?"

Johnny whirled, staring at Henry as they ran side by side. "What?!"

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Calvin called.

"Yeah man, you don't know who Stan Lee is?" Jones asked seriously.

"All right, boys," Henry raised his voice. "Let's get one thing quite clear right away. I'm a dummy. You hear that!? I'm a dummy! Just a few months I was living in a cabin, alone, in the middle of nowhere. All I know how to do it hunt, trap, fish, make a living off the land. I know nothing about this world, its inner workings, and its phrases. I'm a clueless dummy. Yes, I do not know who or what Stan Lee is, so get used to it. I'll be asking these questions for at least a year."

Henry stopped, pausing to take a few deep breaths. Talking while running at a good pace was hard. The group suddenly passed across a road and onto a side street.

"Wow," Johnny commented. "So you're totally new to all things… wow! Do you know what getting laid is?"

"Johnny," Duke sighed, speaking for the first time, but Henry laughed.

"Yes, I know what getting laid is, Johnny," Henry replied. "This is my third day of listening to teens talk, I mean, come on."

"But you don't know who Stan Lee is," Calvin grinned. "All right, have you heard of Spiderman?"

"Yeah!" Henry lit up. "I saw the Spiderman movie."

"Oh really?" Anyway, Spiderman is a fake character that was created by Stan Lee. He wrote comics, and Spiderman was a comics superhero."

"OK, bear with me," Henry sighed. "What are comics?"

The boys all roared with laughter, and Henry sheepishly bent his head down and took it with a grin.

"All right, brace yourself," Calvin laughed.

For the next ten minutes in the run all the other boys explained all kinds of worldly things to Henry. From comics to Netflix and chill, they gave Henry all the things they could think of. In the meantime they reached the Coastal Trail, which was a fine paved trail that ran along the coast. There was a marvelous view, and the run was pleasant. The Varsity boys, being the fastest group, soon caught up to the other groups and passed them all – except the Varsity girls. They were still ahead, but soon the boys turned a corner and saw them in front of them.

"Wow, those girls are moving fast today," Johnny muttered, checking his watch. We're only twelve minutes in."

"We need to pick up the pace," Stanley grunted. "All this chatting has slowed us down."

"Oh, everyone, shirts off!" Johnny called. "We've gotta show off."

"For crying aloud, Johnny," Calvin chuckled.

"Come on, we're getting hot and sweaty already anyway," Johnny laughed, stripping off his shirt. "Jones, aren't you hot?"

"Your girlfriend thought so," Jones taunted, but he too took off his shirt.

"Yeah boys, shirts off," Stanley ordered, taking his off as he spoke.

"Yes sir!" Calvin took off his tanktop, and then Henry stripped off his tee-shirt. Then the Varsity boys tossed them all on a bush on the side of the trail.

"We'll get them when we come back," Stanley told Henry, as he saw Henry look questioningly. "We do it all the time. Welcome to running."

"All right," Henry said. He turned to look at the boys, all shirtless – except Duke. Duke still had his black tee-shirt on and showed no sign of taking it off.

"Duke, you gonna get with the program?" Henry asked.

"Oh, not Duke," Stanley turned to look at Henry. "Duke never takes off his shirt."

Duke spoke. "I don't like it."

Henry shrugged, looking at his watch. "Well then, OK."

The boys were now fast catching up to the varsity girls, and Johnny elbowed Henry. "So is it true you're dating Astrid?" He asked, nodding at the blonde girl who was leading the girl's team.

Henry grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied.

"Nice going, boy," Johnny grinned. "She's fine. Boys, Henry's dating Astrid."

"My man!" Jones clapped Henry on the shoulder. "Good going."

"You tap that?" Calvin asked cheekily.

"Boys, come on," Henry laughed. "Give the poor fellow break. And shut up, the girls are gonna hear us."

"Let em!" the boys were now right behind the girls, and Johnny shouted. "Hey, girls, is Henry dating Astrid?"

"Nooo!" Henry groaned.

Several of the girls turned to look and laugh, and Heather shouted. "Oh yes she is!"

Mortified, Henry ran alongside the girls with the group, even as all the girls and boys laughed at him.

Astrid, at the front, turned and looked at the girls, then glared at Henry, her cheeks red.

"All right, everyone," Henry laughed, running alongside Astrid. "We are dating, OK?" He took Astrid's ponytail and flipped it over her head into her face.

"Hey!" Astrid spluttered, flicking it back. "Don't touch my hair!" And then, raising her hand, she smacked Henry on the back, the noise making a giant crack on his bare skin.

"Yeow!" Henry yelped, and the boys all roared with laughter.

"Five star!" Calvin laughed. "Astrid's a savage!"

"What was that for?" Henry groaned, rolling his shoulders. A red hand mark was already appearing on his back.

"That was for – everything," Astrid informed him, a quirky smile tugging at her lips.

"Well," Henry snorted, "Not sure what I did to deserve that."

"Oh, stop whining and go run," Astrid laughed, her smooth, firm pace not budging. "You should be moving faster than us."

"All right, I'll run," Henry grinned, and, lowering his hand, smacked Astrid on the butt.

"Hey!"

Yelping, Henry took off, running ahead. Astrid took two steps to follow and then stopped. "You ass!"

Henry looked back, laughing. "Don't hit me next time!" He grinned. "Gods, I'm glad I'm faster than you! Boys, let's go! I don't wanna stick around!"

Everyone on both the boys and girls team was laughing now, and Johnny turned to wink at the girls.

"Aight, see ya'll," he grinned. "Let's catch Henry, boys! Move!"

In a few seconds the Varsity boys had caught up to Henry and then left the girls behind. As soon as the boys were out of range, Heather tittered and elbowed Astrid.

"You two are hella cute together."

"Yes you are," Katy, another of Astrid's teammates, smirked. "He's a nice guy, too. How'd you two hit it off so well, Astrid?"

"We – we met a while ago," Astrid stammered. "You know how he's like, not used to society? He used to live on his own, in the wild."

"Right, I kinda heard about that," Katy affirmed. "You know, Henry's like, already all over the school?"

"Well, yeah, he showed Scott up and everyone loves him," Astrid laughed.

"Not just that," Katy said. "They like him because he's popular – and he – he doesn't care."

"What do you mean?" Astrid looked questioningly at Katy.

"Well, I mean, he's not stuck up," Katy explained. "I mean, look at Scott, he's Mr. Popular, but he will ignore anyone who's not. Henry though, he doesn't get the whole popular thing, its funny! He talks to everyone, from the nerds to the football stars."

Astrid nodded slowly. "Gotcha."

"You like him?" Katy smiled.

Astrid smiled back. "Maybe a little bit."

* * *

In an hour and fifteen minutes, the practice was over, and the team was heading back to the locker rooms to change and leave. Henry was utterly exhausted. It had been some months since he had done any intense work, and the run with the Varsity boys was very difficult. However, they didn't even seem fazed. Henry felt weak among them.

Slowly, he wiped sweat off his brow and began to walk back to the school.

"Hey Henry," Someone said, and Henry glanced up to see Coach Larry.

"Hey Coach," he acknowledged. "What's up?"

"Not much, but I saw you run today, and have a few suggestions."

"Oh really? What did you see about me, Coach?" Henry stopped and wiped his brow again, looking intently at his coach.

"Well, you're very strong, Henry. I've never seen anyone show up to their first day of practice and stick with the Varsity boys like you did. Very impressive. However, your running form absolutely – sucks."

Henry and Coach Larry laughed, but then Larry got serious again.

"I'm not joking, Henry, your form looks horrible. You absolutely pound your feet on the ground, and your shoulder and neck muscles are tight and tense. Also, your hands look really strange while you run. You carry one of them higher than the other."

Henry nodded. "OK."

"That's taking away a lot of potential speed." Coach Larry looked quizzically at Henry. "Actually, it's like you're running with an imaginary weight on your shoulders. Are you used to running while carrying something?"

Henry blinked and then laughed. "Right!" He grinned. "When I would run, I would almost always have a buckboard on my back with meat, dead animals, or traps. Heavy weight. And my hands – haha, I'm often running with a rifle in my hands."

Coach Larry grinned. "That explains it. All right, Henry, you've got a lot to work on. You have spectacular running muscles, your core is powerful, your legs are absolutely ripped, and your shoulders are strong. But you're not running properly to maximize your breathing and strength. Tomorrow I want you running around the track with me watching, and I'll tell you what to fix and how to fix it."

"Thanks a bunch, Coach." Henry shook Larry's hand. "I appreciate it."

"Look, Henry, I need to know how committed you're going to be to this team," Larry said, shaking Henry's hand. "I think you've got great potential, but only if you're willing to come to practice every day, listen, and give 100% effort. Can you do that? If not, you're wasting my time."

Henry smiled. "One of my rules in life is if I'm going to do something, I'm going to put 100% into it," he said. "If not then why do it? And I've decided I'm going to run."

Coach Larry grinned. "Perfect. See you tomorrow. Our first race is on Saturday, and I'm interested to see how fast you'll be. If you can run well enough to impress me, you'll be on Varsity for the first race."

"Thank you Coach." Henry nodded.

"All right. Go hit the showers, Henry. Good work today, you put in a lot of effort."

Nodding, Henry turned and walked to the school. Johnny Trotter appeared by his side and walked with him.

"So how was your first practice, Henry my boy?" He grinned. "Tired?"

"Yeah," Henry groaned, as Johnny pushed open the door to the school. "Forty minutes of running I can do, but you guys go pretty fast. I'm not used to this style of running."

"Aw, you'll get used to it, bud," Johnny grinned, his crooked teeth showing. "Running is something that you can't easily just be good at, it come with practice. To get fast you've just gotta RUN."

Johnny grinned.

"Practice makes perfect," Henry agreed.

"That it does. And speaking of practice, would you look at that."

Johnny grabbed Henry's shoulder to stop him as they passed by the door to the exercise room at West.

There, inside, his back to the door, was Scott Jorgenson. He was standing in front of a punching bag, slamming his fists into it and practicing his moves. A coach was standing beside him giving him tips. Scott's powerful punches struck the bag with clean force, and he was moving fast.

"Whoa," Henry muttered.

"He's practicing for you, Henry," Johnny chuckled, turning Henry and walking down the halls again. "Scotty doesn't like to get beaten, and you beat him – thoroughly. I saw that video. Scott now knows you're better than him, so he's gonna train till he's better than you. Then he'll fight you again."

"I don't want to fight him!" Henry sighed. "OK, I humiliated him, I get it, he wants to get even. But geez."

"Oh well. It'll take him awhile to get good enough to beat you. And hey, I was wondering – look out!"

Johnny's warning was too late. Astrid had snuck up behind them with her towel, and gave Henry a solid whack on the butt with the towel.

"Yikes!" Henry spun and laughed. "Geez, Astrid."

"That was payback," Astrid grinned, flipping her towel over her shoulder. "Don't just think you can spank me and get away with it."

"You five starred me," Henry grimaced, twisting to look at his back. "Johnny, is that red hand mark still there?"

"It ALMOST faded." Johnny laughed. "Let me fix that." Raising his hand, he walloped Henry on the back again. Henry howled.

"Gawd!" he groaned. "Leave the poor kid alone!"

"Put your shirt back on already!" Astrid laughed. "Then it won't happen."

"But I'm about to go shower," Henry said. "What's the point of putting in on if I'm just going to take it off again?"

"Yeah Astrid, if I had a chest like that, I'd go shirtless too," Johnny grinned, laying a sweaty arm across Astrid's shoulders.

"Uggh, well, there's your locker room." Astrid pointed, pushing Johnny's arm off. "Go shower, dummies. I can smell you both."

"Where are _you_ going?" Henry asked.

"To shower too, duh," Astrid brandished her towel and walked to the door to the girl's locker room.

"Oh hey! Can I join you?" Henry laughed.

"Oh, in your dreams, big boy," Astrid called back, and vanished into the girls' locker room.

Johnny whistled. "She said in your dreams. I want to dream your dreams, Henry."

Henry laughed, elbowing Johnny in the ribs. "Stow it. I can smell your jealousy more than my own sweat."

"Seriously, you two are gonna be a badass couple," Johnny laughed, as the two boys walked into the locker room. "But I've one important piece of advice for you in your relationship."

"What's that?" Henry asked.

Johnny stopped and placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. He leaned in to whisper. Henry leaned in too, interested. Johnny spoke.

"Use a condom."

"Oh, for Thor's sake!" Henry shoved Johnny away, even as the blonde boy burst out laughing. "You're a loser, you know that?"

"Oooh, a loser?" Johnny cackled. "We'll see who the loser is on Saturday, boys! First race of the season!"

"YEAAAH!" The locker room cheered.

"Who's gonna run their shoes off tomorrow?"

"WEST!"

"Who's gonna be badasses tomorrow?"

"WEST!"

"Who's gonna win tomorrow?"

Silence. Then… "South," someone called.

"Oh, screw South!" Johnny pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the bench by his locker. "Are you saying we're gonna lose to those chubby babies in black and gold?"

"Babies?" Jones, wearing only his towel, spoke up. "Eugene Franz, Yacine Taylor, Aiken Bennett, Sam Brown, and Camden Crowder? That's an army."

"Screw all of em!" Johnny shouted, taking off his shorts. "Sure, Eugene, Yacine, and Aiken are crazy fast, but Sam and Camden aren't that good. All we need to do is have ONE more runner beat Yacine or Aiken."

"Stanley can't beat Yacine or Aiken," Calvin Biggs argued, from the bench by his locker.

"Who's taking my name in vain?" Stanley stepped out of the shower door, drying his blonde hair with his towel.

"We're talking about the race on Saturday," Johnny said, opening his locker and taking out his towel. "We're talking about how you can't beat Yacine or Aiken."

Stanley grimaced. "You're right, boys, I can't," he sighed. "Look, they're just faster than me. I've been running against Aiken for three years and Yacine for two. Not once have I beat them in a 5K race."

"Then we're doomed tomorrow, essentially," Calvin grinned.

"Unless," Johnny announced, "Henry here can beat one of those two. Then we can win."

Stanley looked evenly at Henry, wrapping his towel around his waist. "Well, Henry? How about it?"

Henry spread his hands. "Look boys, I'm fast, coach thinks I'm fast, but I've never ran a race before in my life! I can't even tell you if I'll finish the race alive, I just don't know. I know we're battling South High and Service High tomorrow, and South is our biggest competition, but I just don't know how fast I am." Henry shrugged. "On Saturday, we'll see."

"That's the spirit," Jones nodded.

"Well then." Stanley walked up to his locker and opened it. "It's a possibility, and before it no longer was. We've gotta run our hearts out on Saturday. Johnny, fly like some girl's dad is after you with a shotgun. Duke, no one beats you but those two. You follow me?"

Duke nodded quietly.

"Then I'm gonna beat Camden and Sam," Stanley breathed. "Calvin and Jones, you need to beat Sam too."

"I'll sure as fire try," Calvin grinned. "But this is my first time racing him, and his PR is better than mine."

"Doesn't matter, beat him anyway." Stanley turned to Jones.

"I can do it." Jones smiled easily. "I can take Sam."

"Do it, then." Stanley grinned. "Then all we need is Henry to beat Aiken or Yacine."

Henry smiled. "I'll try, boys. I'll try."

"Good." Stanley finished drying himself off and motioned at Johnny and Henry. "You two need to shower. Get in there!"

* * *

After showering, getting changed, and a little more joking with the boys, Henry was the first to finish. He walked out of the locker room and turned to leave.

"Hey," someone called, and Henry turned to see Astrid leaning against the wall. She straightened up.

"Well hello, Milady," Henry grinned, turning.

"Geez, you boys take forever to shower and clean up," Astrid laughed, jabbing a thumb at the boy's locker room. "I thought girls were the ones who were slow at that kind of stuff, but I guess I was wrong."

Henry grinned. "We were discussing race strategy for Saturday. I thought girls would do that too, but I guess I was wrong."

Astrid laughed, and walked down the hall with Henry. "We don't need to discuss race strategy," she smiled. "South has a fast boys' team, but their girls' team is slow. We're going to win easily."

"Really? Getting cocky there, Astrid," Henry quipped.

"Maybe I learned a thing or two from you." Astrid jabbed Henry in the ribs. "I've never seen someone as cocky as you are."

"I thought you knew Johnny Trotter," Henry grinned.

"Oh, pfft, Johnny is just a vulgar goofball," Astrid snorted.

"But he's cocky, too."

"Whatever."

Henry and Astrid arrived at the door, and Henry pushed it open. The two stepped out into the warm fall day, walking towards the parking lot.

"Where did I park again?" Astrid muttered, feeling in the pockets of her jeans for her car keys. "I always forget these things."

"I don't need to remember," Henry laughed. "My car is so awesome I just have to look for the most badass one in the parking lot."

"Oh, shut up," Astrid laughed, pressing the unlock button on her keys. "Oh, there's my car. Right in front of my face."

Astrid and Henry walked up to Astrid's silver Prius, and Henry grinned, leaning on the top of it.

"I remember the first time I saw this car," he smiled.

"So do I," Astrid smiled back, tossing her bag in the passenger's seat. "I also remember getting a gun pointed at me by some cute boy that same day."

Henry narrowed his eyes and looked slyly at Astrid. "Watch it, As."

"Hey, I'm allowed to call you cute." Astrid pushed at Henry playfully.

"Cute, though? That's childish. I'd prefer handsome or sexy."

"Oh, you're just a big dork." Astrid laughed, and Henry wrapped an arm around her neck, playfully hugging her.

"Oh, so I actually have a question for you," Astrid hummed, sliding an arm around Henry's waist and snuggling up against his chest.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Henry dropped his hand to Astrid's shoulder.

Astrid looked up at Henry. "So my mom wants you to come over for dinner sometime this week. You can meet my dad, too. Can you do that?"

"Oh no," Henry laughed. "OK, I've seen enough movies to know how awkward family dinners can be with a potential boyfriend. Do I HAVE to do this?"

"Yes you do," Astrid admonished, smirking up at him. "What, I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

"I'm not, but if I don't want to why should I?" Henry asked.

"Because – a pretty girl is asking you," Astrid smiled.

"And who says you're pretty?"

"You did!"

"Oh, I did? Right. I forgot."

Astrid laughed. "You. So are you gonna come?"

"I still don't want to."

"I don't care. Come."

"You hit me today. Twice."

"And you spanked me."

"Only once."

"Whatever!" Astrid laughed. "I'm pretty sure you could joke forever, Mr. Haddock. Come on, answer the question."

Henry sighed. "When?"

"Saturday, this week. After the race."

"Uggh again."

"Stop being such a big baby," Astrid tickled Henry. "Say you're coming."

"Ok, ok, fine, I'll come!" Henry laughed.

"Good boy." Astrid winked at him. "And really, it won't be that bad. My parents are really chill. You already met my mom."

"Yeah," Henry said. "But I really hate formal-ish dinners."

"What do you have against dinner? You like to eat, don't you?"

"Well, yeah!" Henry chuckled. "But I just eat whenever I want to, you know."

"Well then a little change will do you good," Astrid informed him.

"Fine," Henry grumbled. "I said I'd come. Well, I've gotta go home."

"Take me with you," Astrid teased, still holding on to Henry. "I haven't seen your house yet and I want to know what it's like."

"It's – small." Henry laughed. "And I'm just going to watch The Amazing Spiderman. Calvin insisted that it was better than the Spiderman I had seen. He gave me the movie after practice."

"I like Spiderman…" Astrid hinted.

"But you can't come to my house!"

"Why not?"

"Because Gobber -" Henry hesitated.

"Gobber?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Is Gobber some wild animal you have roaming about in your house?"

Henry laughed. "Pretty much, yeah! Gobber is my adopted father."

Astrid looked confused. "Gobber? That's a terrible name. And why can I not meet your adopted dad?"

"Because -" Henry laughed then shrugged. "Why not? I'm just warning you, he's – odd."

"All parents are odd," Astrid argued.

"No, Gobber is – different," Henry grinned. "Look, Gobber is crazy. He's like me, but with less limbs and more beer. He's spent all his life hunting and trapping, and all he does in his free time is curse, talk shit, and drink beer. But he's also a great guy." Henry nodded. "Oh yeah. He's a great guy."

Astrid looked quizzically at Henry. "Well, you just listed the traits of the typical high schooler," she laughed. "Curse, talk shit, and drink beer."

Henry laughed. "You don't understand. Oh well. Follow me to my house and we'll meet Gobber. Then we can watch the Amazing Spiderman in my room."

"Sounds like a plan." Astrid unlaced her arms from around Henry and pulled out her keys. "You lead the way, and don't go speeding!"

"But speeding is fun!" Henry grinned. "You're just going to have to keep up."

"If I lose you I'll text you," Astrid growled, getting into her car.

"But then I'll be texting while driving!" Henry called, as Astrid sat down in the drivers' seat.

"And since when do you care about safety?" Astrid retorted.

"Never! I just thought you might."

"I've given up on you." Astrid slammed her door shut.

Henry laughed, and Astrid started her Prius, he jogged down the parking line to where his black Corvette sat. Swinging in, he pulled out his keys and started the car, quickly backing out.

Looking behind him, he saw Astrid behind him, and he gave her a salute in his mirror before pulling forward. Just then a car shot out from the other end of the parking lot, moving at a breakneck speed. It honked and then jerked straight for Henry.

Cursing, Henry slammed on the brakes, and the car, still headed straight for him, suddenly swerved, missing Henry by four feet and then skidding to a halt beside Henry's corvette. Henry turned to see who almost hit him.

In the driver's seat of the other car was Johnny Trotter, laughing, and in the passenger's seat was Tommy Thorston. They were both laughing like they had just played the best joke ever.

"Yeah, fuck you guys!" Henry flipped them off through his window. "Fuck you!"

Shaking his head, Henry gripped his wheel as Johnny hit the gas again, leaving. Henry remembered his car – it was a dirty grey ford. He made a mental note to draw some obscene message on it later.

Astrid honked at Johnny as he drove by, and Henry, despite himself, laughed.

"Welcome to high school," he muttered, and then pulled out of the parking lot, Astrid behind him.

It was a fairly short drive to Henry's house, but he deliberately turned on his turn signal late and made sudden turns just to make Astrid mad, who was following him. However, she was a good driver, certainly better than Henry, and she stuck on his tail all the way to Henry's neighborhood, where he pulled into a driveway in front of a small, single story house with a battered green pickup truck parked out front.

Taking out his keys, he opened the door and stepped out, even as Astrid pulled up into the drive behind him.

Grinning, Henry watched as Astrid stepped out of her car, a scowl on her face. She slammed her door and shook her fist at Henry.

"You were purposely trying to lose me, you ass!" Astrid growled.

"No, I just forgot where I lived," Henry teased, as Astrid walked up to him.

"Yeah right. Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Sorry, Milady." Henry slid his hand around her waist and tugged her into a hug. "You're just fun to tease."

"Am I?" Astrid brought up her hand and punched Henry in the stomach.

"Ummph!" Henry grunted.

"Yeah, take that," Astrid snorted. "You deserved it."

"I suppose I did," Henry nodded, reaching into his car for his backpack. "All right, let's head on in. I was hoping for a second that Gobber was gone, but nope, that's his pickup truck right there." Henry jabbed a thumb at the ugly green truck.

"I still don't get why you're afraid to let me meet your adopted dad," Astrid mused.

"You will," Henry affirmed. "And hey, this is my small, smug house. Whattdya think?"

Astrid looked up to survey the outside of Henry's house. It was very small, only a single story, and didn't seem to have much square footage. But it did seem inviting and it was certainly fine looking.

"I like it," Astrid nodded. "My house is only about five times bigger, but whatever."

"I don't need a big house," Henry chuckled. "There's only two guys living in it. There's no need for a house as huge as yours."

"Parties!" Astrid laughed. "That's the best reason ever."

"I've never been to a high school party," Henry commented.

"Well, you soon shall," Astrid told him. "Homecoming is in like a month, and there's a dance and then a million parties happening. You're taking me to the dance, by the way."

"Am I?" Henry raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how to dance."

"You – don't need to know anything to dance at a high school dance," Astrid laughed. "Uhh, I won't explain grinding to you right now. Ask the boys about it."

"All right then," Henry shrugged. "Let's head on in and meet Gobber."

"Cool."

Henry and Astrid walked up to the front door, and then Henry opened it and let Astrid step in ahead of him. He closed the door behind them.

"Listen to this," Henry whispered to Astrid, and called out.

"Hey Gobber!" He shouted. "I'm back."

Setting down his backpack, he lazily kicked off his shoes, while winking at Astrid.

"Oh, hey kid!" Gobber called from the living room. "How was school, huh?"

"So-so," Henry replied, as Astrid, grinning, tugged off her sneakers.

"Ya know, every time I ask that question, I feel like some mom who really cares about their child," Gobber called.

"Right," Henry laughed, helping Astrid take off her jacket. "And of course, you don't actually give a shit about me."

"Yep!" Gobber chuckled. "Geez, kid, yer a little shitbag, ya know that?"

Astrid gasped and started to laugh. She put a hand over her mouth.

"What's ten to the power of two, Gobber?" Henry called, grinning at Astrid and gesturing to the living room.

"How the hell should I know!?" Gobber shouted. "Don't start talkin Algebra to me agin, kid!"

"Well, what else should I talk about?" Henry asked, steering Astrid down the hall to the living room.

"Anythin but school!" Gobber snorted. "Talk about yer girlfriend!"

"Which one?" Henry called back.

"Hey!" Astrid hissed at Henry, jabbing him in the ribs.

"The one who ya should've shot a year ago!" Gobber answered.

"Oh, you mean this one?" Henry grinned, stepping into the living room, Astrid right next to him.

Gobber was sitting on the couch, watching the TV, with a bottle of beer in his hand. As Henry and Astrid walked in, he stopped and stared, lowering his beer from his mouth.

"What the hell?" He grinned, showing his busted teeth. "Henry, ya said you were goin to tell me before ya brought a girl over!"

"Yeah, and I also told you I would never bring a girl to meet YOU," Henry grinned. "So much for that. Gobber, this is Astrid Hofferson, the girl I told you about."

"Well hello there," Gobber said, clambering to his feet. He glanced up and down Astrid, from her small white socks to her sparkling blue eyes. Gobber's moustache bobbed as he spoke. "Yer a lot hotter than Henry let on."

"Gobber…" Henry warned.

"What?" Gobber set down his beer, and Astrid giggled.

"Nice to meet you, Mr -" She hesitated. "I guess Haddock isn't your last name."

"Don't mister me," Gobber grinned. "Hell, I've forgotten my own last name. Just call me Gobber."

"Ok, Gobber," Astrid laughed. "It's nice to meet you."

Gobber nodded. "You wanna beer?"

"Gobber!" Henry admonished. "She's still seventeen."

"Well, so are you, and you drink beer like you were born to do it," Gobber laughed.

"Oh dear," Henry groaned.

Astrid also laughed. "Look, I'm a highschooler, I've drank beer on a thousand occasions. But I don't like it, so I don't want any."

"Our beer is good," Gobber shrugged.

"All right, that's enough, Gobber," Henry grinned. "Astrid and I are going to watch a movie."

"Oh, you want this TV? I can go -"

"No!" Henry blurted. "Not this one. We're going to use the one in my room. We will NOT be sitting here with you."

"Oh, ya want some privacy?" Gobber winked.

"Gobber…" Henry groaned, and Astrid started to chuckle.

"Ya know, I kin tell ya all kinds of embarrassing stories about this kid here," Gobber nodded at Henry. "If ya care to I can -"

"All right, that's enough," Henry announced, grabbing Astrid's shoulder and turning her away. "We're going across the hall to my room. Bye, Gobber."

"No, I want to hear some embarrassing stories!" Astrid laughed, shoving at Henry.

"No you don't!" With Gobber laughing behind them, Henry tugged Astrid back into the hall and then into his room. Closing the door, Henry leaned against it and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

Astrid burst out laughing.

"Oh, Gods," she gulped, between peals of laughter. "All right, you win. Your adopted dad is CRAZY."

"I told you, right?" Henry groaned, walking over to his bed and flopping down on it face first. "He was NOT meant for the city life, that's for sure."

"Are you sure _you_ are, too?" Astrid glanced around the room. "Look at this mess, Haddock. And what are all these things on the walls!?"

Henry's room was like a small museum. Aside from all the stuffed animal heads and old pictures on the walls, there were shelves and shelves of curiosities. Wolverine skulls, giant pinecones, and rows of bear claw necklaces adorned the oak planks, and there was even a bearskin rug on the floor.

"Oh, those are all my old items from back in Soldotna," Henry muttered, rolling over on the bed. "Tons of stuff."

Astrid picked up a bear claw necklace and slid it over her head. "I like these," she grinned.

"Bear claws." Henry laughed. "Savage necklaces for savage girls."

"Hey." Astrid took off the necklace.

"You can keep that one if you want," Henry said, sitting up and reaching for his pocket. "I've got a ton of them."

"I can tell," Astrid laughed. "Henry, your room looks really weird with all this stuff in it. And that wolf head on the wall creeps me out."

"Well, if you don't like my room, feel free to go share a beer with Gobber," Henry laughed, pulling out the DVD case for the Amazing Spiderman.

"Well, good point," Astrid laughed. "There's a million bear heads in the living room, too. If PETA saw this house, they'd have a fit."

Henry snorted. "PETA people have clearly never been hungry before."

"Well, you can eat the animals, but you don't have to stuff them and mount them on walls," Astrid stated, walking over to Henry's bed. "I like your carpet, though. It's cool looking."

"You don't like the bearskin rug," Henry grinned. He gestured to the floor where the bear head leered up at them.

"No, I do not," Astrid laughed, sitting down next to Henry on the bed. "But whoa! Henry! What is this blanket made of? It's SOOOO soft!"

Henry laughed. "It's made of rabbit fur, stuffed with a bit of wool. Comfy, huh?"

"Oh my God." Astrid felt the blanket again. "I want a blanket like this."

"I can make one for you for, say… a thousand dollars," Henry grinned.

"A thousand dollars… no. You're joking."

"About that much." Henry stood up and walked over to the TV that was mounted on the wall, and inserted the DVD. "Fur doesn't come cheap."

"Then I'm going to steal this," Astrid grinned, rolling over on the bed and wrapping herself up in the soft fur. "You're gonna be out of a blanket tomorrow, mister."

"Oh, no, I'm not!" Henry tossed aside the DVD case and jumped onto his bed with the remote. "That blanket is mine!"

"Mine now!" Astrid and Henry began a tug-of-war over the blanket, with Astrid doggedly holding onto it and Henry pulling at the other end.

The struggle was interrupted by a sudden blast of music from the TV.

"Yikes!" Henry rolled over and grabbed the remote from the table alongside the bed. "WAAY too loud."

"I'll say," Astrid laughed, as Henry quickly turned down the sound. "Geez."

Henry didn't answer, because he was hitting the 'Play' button on the disc menu. The music changed and the beginning credits of the movie began to roll.

"You ever seen this before?" Henry asked, even as Astrid handed him one side of the blanket.

"Once, back in Louisiana," Astrid answered, as Henry threw his pillows back to the head of the bed, one hitting Astrid in the face. "Oomph!"

"Sorry," Henry laughed, as Astrid propped up the pillow and leaned back against it. "That was, believe it or not, an accident."

"You're not very trustworthy," Astrid grumbled.

Henry sighed, putting his pillow up next to Astrid's and flopping against it. "Love you too, Milady."

"Mhmm," Astrid muttered, as Henry wrapped his arm around her and pulled the blanket over both of them. "If you really love me, let me have this blanket."

"I don't love you THAT much," Henry grinned, which earned him a punch in the stomach.

"That was NOT an accident," Astrid retorted.

"I can – feel that," Henry laughed, grimacing. "Why so violent, huh?"

In reply Astrid slid both her arms around Henry and snuggled up against his chest. "All right, I'm sorry too, smartass."

"I doubt it," Henry answered. "You're gonna punch me again in two seconds."

Astrid looked up at him, her blue eyes dancing. "Oh yeah? One, two." She punched him again.

"Gods, stop it," Henry groaned. "Look, the movie's starting. Watch it, instead of testing my great abs with your weak punches."

"Weak?" Astrid raised her fist again.

"All right, all right!" Henry laughed. "No, you're – very – strong, blondie. I mean, you ALMOST beat me wrestling the other day."

"All right, that's it!" Astrid tightened her grip around Henry's chest and rolled him over. "I'm gonna beat you, right now!"

"Yikes!" Henry grabbed Astrid's wrists and effortlessly held her hands away from him. "Get off of me!"

"Nope!" Astrid struggled, trying to free her hands, and, when she couldn't, tried a different approach. Bringing her knee up, she kneed Henry in between the legs.

"OOOOhhhh!" Henry groaned, letting Astrid go.

Astrid quickly grabbed Henry's arms and pinned them down, then straddled him.

"Pinned!" She laughed.

Henry was still groaning, writhing. "Gods, Astrid," he moaned. "That was a very low blow."

"I do whatever it takes," Astrid grinned evilly. Henry, underneath her, slowly blinked.

"I should beat you up for that," he grunted.

"Oh yeah?" Astrid leaned down, her face a few inches away from Henry's. "You wouldn't beat up your favorite girl, would you?"

"And who says you're my favorite girl?" Henry laughed through the pain.

Astrid's lips brushed Henry's. Henry tried to pull his hands away, but Astrid tightened her grip and kept them pinned.

"Who's your favorite girl?" She smirked, her lips grazing Henry's again.

Henry groaned.

"Who's' your favorite girl…" Astrid teased.

Henry grinned, his green eyes twinkling. "Who do you think?"

"Mmm," Astrid hummed, and her lips met Henry's.

And it was like that, Astrid on top of Henry, straddling him and making out with him, that Gobber suddenly opened the door.

"Yikes!" Astrid rolled off Henry and Henry abruptly sat up.

"Gods, Gobber!" Henry growled, sitting up. "Can you fucking knock?"

Gobber grinned, his crooked teeth showing. "Interruptin anythin?" He asked dryly.

"Shut up," Henry scowled.

Gobber's face turned serious.

"It's not that, Henry. You need ta come and look at this. In the livin room. Now."

Gobber turned and walked away as abruptly as he had arrived.

"Gods," Henry groaned, spinning and getting off the bed. Astrid followed, and Henry snagged her waist and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Dammit, Gobber," he grinned.

Astrid jabbed her thumb in Henry's ribs. "Yeah, you wish he hadn't interrupted, huh?"

"I don't know, he seemed worried," Henry commented, poking Astrid's ribs in return. "I wonder what's eating him."

"Should I come with you or…?" Astrid asked.

"No, stay here, hopefully it won't take too long," Henry told her. "Go ahead and explore my room, but do NOT steal my blanket!"

"No promises," Astrid laughed. "Hurry up, big boy."

"Grr," Henry growled. "All right, I'll be back in a minute, OK?"

Walking to the open door, he stepped out and swung it shut before walking briskly down the hall to the living room.

Gobber was standing by the couch, his arms folded.

"Look at that," Gobber gestured to the TV, which was showing the news.

Henry stopped short. The first thing he saw on the TV were body bags.

"What the hell?" Hiccup took a step forward. "What is this?"

"Listen," Gobber said tersely.

The TV anchor was speaking.

 _'It appears getting the bear will be far from easy, as this is only the hunter's second major attempt to bring down the beast, and it has resulted in three lives being lost. The hunters were out looking for the bear when they were attacked, mauled, and killed. The Red Death has struck once more. Kirsten Davidson, at the scene, has some more for us.'_

The focus shifted to a young woman, who was standing by a Fish and Game truck.

 _"Yes, Kevin,"_ she said. _"The Red Death has indeed struck once more, and this time, instead of two children, it has killed three professional hunters. The whole town is abuzz with the shock, and word is spreading rapidly. No one seems to know anything about this bear or how to bring it down, but some Fish and Game officials state that there is one person who knows more about the bear than anyone else. He was the first to report a sighting of the bear some five years ago, and was the one who was chiefly involved in the organization of the hunt for it. He is known among the Fish and Game Rangers as 'The Boy with the Scar,' in recognition of the scar on his chin, which some say came from the Red Death itself. The boy has yet to be located, and if anyone watching this report knows who the boy might be, they should get in touch with the local authorities at once."_

Gobber raised the remote and muted the TV. He turned to Henry.

"You hear that, kid?"

Henry was staring. "My God," he whispered. "Again! Again!"

"Yes, Henry." Gobber was grim. "Henry, ya know more than anyone that that bear can't be taken down by some half-ass monkeys from the lower forty-eight. They know that, too. That's why they want ya, Henry. You know this bear. Yer the only one who can take this bastard down."

Gobber walked over to the dresser under the TV and pulled open a drawer, bringing forth Henry's brand new Winchester rifle. He tossed it to Henry, who caught it. Then Gobber picked up Henry's old hunting knife and handed it to him.

"Ya haven't touched a rifle since we moved up here, Henry. I know this is what ya always wanted, a fun, calm city life, but it wasn't what ya were born ta do, kid. You were meant ta hunt. It's time, kid. Go and fuckin kill that bear."

Henry stared at the rifle in his hands, running his hand down the wooden handle.

"I know I'm a good hunter, Gobber," he said quietly. "But," he looked up. "I've thought about this a lot ever since I saw the first news report."

"Thought about what?" Gobber asked.

"The whole bear thing. Look, Gobber, my - my days of hunting that bear are done." Henry said firmly.

"What?" Gobber stared.

"They're done." Henry repeated. "They're over. The last time I fired a rifle I pumped a shot right into that red demon's chest." Henry nodded at the TV screen. "It didn't do SHIT. The Red Death then busted my old Winchester in half. It's still sitting there in the mud by the Kenai River, for all I know. I finally got what I wanted all my life, ONE good shot at that bear. I got it, and I almost died. Toothless almost died."

Henry walked back over to the dresser drawer and carefully placed the rifle back in its case. Gobber blinked slowly.

"But I thought ya wanted revenge," Gobber frowned.

Henry straightened up and looked at Gobber steadily.

"It's not my fight anymore, Gobber," he said. "I'm not going back down there to kill it."

"Kid," Gobber whispered in awe. "Men, _CHILDREN_ are dyin back in Soldotna. Yer the only one who can take that beast down! If ya don't go, more people will die."

Henry spread his hands. "It's September, Gobber. The Red Death will go into hibernation soon. By the time I go down there and manage to get on his tail, it'll be too late anyway."

"Kid." Gobber scowled. "That's a lame-ass excuse and ya know it."

"I don't care." Henry slid the drawer shut with a thud. "I'm not at war with that bear anymore. If there were no professional hunters, I might go do it, but not now. The Red Death is not my concern, OK?"

Gobber looked evenly at Henry, and Henry looked back. The two stared at each other for a second.

"Hey, Henry."

Gobber and Henry turned to see Astrid standing in the doorway, Henry's blanket draped across her shoulders.

"What's up, Henry?" Astrid asked.

Henry turned and handed the massive knife back to Gobber. "I won't do it," he said firmly. "My rivalry with that bear is done, and I have a race to run on Saturday."

"I'm disappointed in ya, Henry." Gobber said sadly, taking the knife.

Henry didn't answer. He turned away and walked to Astrid, who, looking oddly at Gobber, turned and walked with Henry back to his room.

"What was that all about?" Astrid asked, as they went back down the hall.

"Nothing," Henry said quickly. "Just a little debate. Come, on, let's watch some Spiderman."

He gave Astrid's hair a playful tug, and as she punched him in return, he closed the door behind them.

* * *

 **Aaand there you go! Another long chapter, I guess… but hey, why not. And hey, here we've got a twist! Henry does NOT want to go hunt down his arch-nemesis… what's going on?! Is he hanging up his guns for good?  
And one thing I realized after writing this chapter, I really didn't introduce the girl's side of things. So, next chapter, some'll be told from Astrid's point of view, and I'll give you all the girl's running team then. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon.**

 **Oh yeah, and another announcement! I'll be posting a new HTTYD FanFic soon, one I'm co-writing with my favorite little brat, Crystallion12. She's pretty awesome, go check out her stories if you feel like. :)**

 **And leave me a review! I love em. :) Holy smokes I had a lot of em last chapter, thank you all so much! Except you, TidePoolDevil, I don't want your reviews anymore. XD.**

 **NatB.**


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